Category: US Senate

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Boozman, Cotton Join Bipartisan Effort to Expand Telehealth Access and Make Current Virtual Care Flexibilities Permanent

Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) joined a bipartisan group of senators in introducing legislation to expand coverage of telehealth services through Medicare, permanently extend pandemic-era virtual care flexibilities, improve health outcomes and make it easier for patients to connect with their doctors.

The Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act would make permanent the expanded telehealth services Congress approved in December 2022 that are set to expire in 2025.

“Telehealth provides opportunities for Arkansans to receive treatment from health care providers no matter where they live. Patients have had positive outcomes as a result of this technology and we must continue to utilize the potential it has to transform medical care. This legislation will ensure rural and underserved populations continue to have access to this critical tool to improve their health,” Boozman said.

“Eliminating certain restrictions for telehealth services allows Arkansans greater access to healthcare without traveling long distances. This bill will keep these services in place even after the public health emergency expires,” said Cotton. 

The CONNECT for Health Act builds on the progress of the past seven years to that has enhanced telehealth through law or adoption by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including provisions to remove restrictions on telehealth services for mental health, stroke care and home dialysis. 

This legislation will:

  • Permanently remove all geographic restrictions on telehealth services and expand originating sites to include the home and other sites;
  • Permanently allow health centers and rural health clinics to provide telehealth services;
  • Allow more eligible health care professionals to utilize telehealth services;
  • Remove unnecessary in-person visit requirements for tele-mental health services;
  • Allow for the waiver of telehealth restrictions during public health emergencies; and
  • Require more published data to learn more about how telehealth is being used, impacts of quality of care and can be improved to support patients and health care providers.

Bill text can be found here.

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Booker, Blunt Rochester Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Scale Up Successful Nutrition Incentive for Fruits and Veggies Nationwide

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, and U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) introduced the bicameral Opt for Health with SNAP (OH SNAP), Close the Fruit and Vegetable Gap Act of 2023, legislation that would significantly expand the successful Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), which incentivizes low-income recipients to consume fruits and vegetables.

Approximately 90% of Americans do not eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables to maintain a healthy diet, according to the Center for Disease Control. Maintaining a healthy diet is particularly challenging for low-income people, who report inability to afford healthy food as a primary barrier. This has dire consequences for public health, as fruit and vegetable consumption reduces the risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other diet-related illnesses. Diet-related illness is now the number one cause of death and disability in the United States.

Further, our current federal farm subsidies are not aligned for our health. Even though the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 50% of a person’s diet should be fruits and vegetables, less than 10% of Farm Bill agricultural subsidies go to farmers growing fruits and vegetables, and instead go to commodity crops like corn and soy, which are predominantly used in feed for animals, ethanol, or processed foods.

GusNIP directly supports healthy food access amongst nutrition-insecure populations, by funding state/local governments and non-profits to provide point-of-sale incentives for SNAP recipients to purchase fruits and vegetables. For example, in some places participants are given a dollar-for-dollar match in SNAP when they purchase fresh produce, doubling their buying power. GusNIP also funds projects to demonstrate and evaluate produce prescriptions.   

In addition to significant health benefits, GusNIP has substantial positive economic impacts, particularly for fruit and vegetable farmers, who benefit from reliable access to expanded local markets.

Large-scale investments in fruit and vegetable access are needed to transform public health. The OH SNAP Act would scale up the mandatory funding for GusNIP to $3.5 billion over the 5 years of the 2023 Farm Bill and authorize $100 million of discretionary funding annually for 5 years. Further, the bill would eliminate the local cost share requirement, which has prevented local implementers from being able to apply for and sustain the program.

“Currently, millions of Americans are facing a hunger crisis and a nutrition crisis – not only do they struggle to have enough to eat, but they also lack access to affordable, nutritious foods. GusNIP is a proven solution that improves nutrition and health for some of our nation’s most vulnerable,” said Senator Booker.  “GusNIP is a win-win-win-win for participants, public health, farmers, and local economies. My legislation will make significant investment into GusNIP – a proven program that works – and eliminate the partner cost share, so we can exponentially scale up the positive impacts of the program for more American farmers and families.”

“As communities across our country continue to face significant hunger and nutrition challenges, it’s incumbent on Congress to invest in solutions we know work. The GusNIP program is one of those solutions that helps get healthy foods to communities that need them the most,” said Rep. Blunt Rochester. “The program creates a virtuous cycle for our communities, local producers, and local economy – which is why I’m so proud to partner with Senator Booker to introduce the OH SNAP Act to close the fruit and vegetable gap and make our communities healthier and stronger.”  

“Hackensack Meridian Health is proud to stand with Senator Booker in supporting expanded funding for GusNIP initiatives. Food insecurity is one of the foremost factors that adversely creates inequity and instability for New Jersey families and we applaud Senator Booker’s efforts to advance food as medicine priorities, including expansion of this critical grant program,”said Robert C. Garrett, FACHE, CEO, Hackensack Meridian Health.

“New Jersey agriculture recognizes and appreciates the benefits of expanding the GusNIP program through the increase in funding being sought by Senator Booker. The improvement of dietary health through increased consumption of fruits and vegetables is not only sound health-and-nutrition policy, but it also benefits the large number of fruit and vegetable producers in the Garden State. With the medical community coalesced around the concept of increasing fruits and vegetables in our diets to attain better health, innovative ways of getting more of the fresh produce grown in our state into the hands of more consumers can spur significant increased revenue for fruit and vegetable farmers, which will, long-term, help farm viability in New Jersey,” said Secretary Doug Fisher, NJ Department of Agriculture.

“The OH SNAP Act would dramatically scale up the reach of nutrition incentives so that many more farmers and families can benefit. It is vital that lawmakers take action to expand and improve the successful GusNIP program in the 2023 Farm Bill so we can help children, families, and seniors to eat healthier while also bolstering farmers’ bottom lines. Senator Booker’s bold legislation provides a roadmap for what can be done to ensure nutrition incentives are available in a significant amount of farmers markets and grocery stores,” said Kate Krauss, Executive Director of Fair Food Network.

“With our national epidemic of diet-related diseases, healthy food can no longer be a background priority.  Poor nutrition kills ten thousand Americans each week and costs our economy $1.1 trillion each year in healthcare spending and lost productivity,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. “It’s time to invest our money wisely to improve health, reduce healthcare spending, and support our local farmers by prioritizing purchases of fruits and vegetables through the Farm Bill GusNIP program.”

GusNIP was established in the 2014 Farm Bill with $100 million in funding over five years. The program enjoys strong bipartisan backing and broad national coalition support. In 2018, funding for GusNIP was made permanent and increased to $250 million in mandatory funding over five years. From 2015 to 2021, GusNIP-funded SNAP nutrition incentives and produce prescription programs reached 48 states, including more than 200 projects in nearly 2,000 sites at farmers markets, farm stands, grocery stores large and small, and healthcare clinics. 

The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Welch (D-VT), Wyden (D-OR), Blumenthal (D-CT), Padilla (D-CA), Markey (D-MA), Menendez (D-N.J.), and Sanders (I-VT).

The list organizations endorsing the bill can be found here.

The full text of the bill can be found here.  

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New Duckworth-Collins Bipartisan Legislation Would Improve Maternal Care at VA

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

June 15, 2023

This effort builds on the lawmakers’ bipartisan law that’s helping address the maternal mortality crisis among women Veterans

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years—and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced new bipartisan legislation to help improve maternal care at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Building on their bipartisan Protecting Moms Who Served Act, which was signed into law in 2021, the Maternal Health for Veterans Act would strengthen oversight of the VA maternity care coordination while authorizing new funding to make sure the VA has what it needs to provide more women Veterans with access to the maternal care they’ve earned through their service. U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) recently introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

“Our Veterans have sacrificed so much for us and it’s our duty to make sure they have the care and services they need, including access to high-quality maternal healthcare,” said Senator Duckworth. “For too long, preventable pregnancy complications have been overlooked or ignored—it’s time we change that. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill with Senator Collins and Congresswoman Underwood to build on the success of our previous efforts to better empower the VA to provide more access to maternal care for our women Veterans and save lives across the nation.”

“America’s veterans deserve to receive the benefits, resources, and recognition they earned through their service to our country,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan bill is an important step forward in honoring the service of female veterans by addressing their unique healthcare needs. By allocating resources and enhancing coordination efforts, this legislation will pave the way for improved maternal health outcomes among our veteran population, better ensuring that every female veteran receives the high-quality healthcare she has earned.”

“We have an important responsibility to provide quality maternal health care and support to moms who have served,” said Congresswoman Underwood. “The Maternal Health for Veterans Act would ensure VA can meet the growing demand for maternity care services. As a key component of the Momnibus, this legislation builds on the historic funding that was signed into law in 2021 through the bipartisan, bicameral Protecting Moms Who Served Act. This legislation will save moms’ lives and help end our country’s maternal health crisis, and I’m proud to join Senators Duckworth, Collins, and Booker in introducing this critical part of the Momnibus Act.”

A copy of the bill text is available here.

The Protecting Moms Who Served Act was the first bill in the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act to be signed into law to help save moms’ lives, end racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes and achieve maternal health justice.

Duckworth also worked with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) to secure a provision in the American Rescue Plan that gave states a five-year option to extend healthcare coverage for new moms on Medicaid from 60 days after pregnancy to a full year. The provision was based off of legislation that Duckworth, Durbin and U.S. Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02) re-introduced that sought to reduce America’s rising maternal and infant mortality rate.

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Duckworth Urges Colleagues on Floor: Uphold Highest Standards for Pilot Training to Keep Flying Public Safe

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

June 15, 2023

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator and pilot Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, Operations and Innovation—delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor on the importance of upholding the strong pilot certification standards, such as the 1,500-hour rule, in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 and warned her Senate colleagues of the deadly consequences of complacency in aviation. Duckworth’s floor speech comes amid a recent surge in disturbing near-misses and close calls that prompted the FAA to hold an unprecedented safety summit and spurred an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine whether these frightening incidents may be precursor events that, left unaddressed, are a sign that the Part 121 system is vulnerable to a horrific crash. In her speech, Duckworth also explained that weakening pilot certification requirements would not solve our nation’s need for more pilots, but instead only produce less-trained pilots that would make us more prone to flight accidents and put the safety of the flying public at risk. Video of the Senator’s remarks can be found here.

Key quotes:

  • “I would not be alive today but for my experienced copilot who, through many hard-earned flight hours, was prepared and ready to respond to a life-threatening emergency with a level head and swift action.”
  • “There has never been a worse time to even consider weakening pilot certification requirements to produce LESS experienced pilots… we’ve witnessed a disturbing rise of near-deadly close calls that led the FAA to convene an unprecedented safety summit where the Acting Administrator warned that the entire aviation industry need not to grow complacent—because complacency kills.”
  • “A vote to reduce the 1,500-hour rule for pilot training will mean blood on your hands when the inevitable accident occurs as a result of an inadequately trained flight crew.”

Duckworth’s full remarks as delivered below:

  • Mr. President, I rise today as both Chair of the Subcommittee on Aviation Safety, but more importantly, as a pilot who is only alive because of the swift actions of an experienced flight crew.
  • I have lived the experience of piloting a Blackhawk that was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade in flight and entered into flight conditions immediately that flight simulators taught me would be catastrophic, but experience-gained flying in the toughest conditions showed me that that was not the case.
  • I have probably spent more hours in the most sophisticated flight simulators than any other Senator of this body short of, of course, Senator Kelly, our astronaut. 
  • In my over a decade of training as a military pilot, every time, every single time, that we simulated total loss of all aircraft avionics, would follow on total loss of hydraulic power, we died in that simulator.
  • And we did this every year; and we simulated it over and over. It was not survivable.
  • And we never simulated an RPG explosion in the lap of one of the pilots that any of the crew could survive. 
  • Why did we never simulate that condition? Nobody ever imagined that it would ever happen and have the crew survive or that the aircraft would not break apart in flight.
  • And yet, on that day in Iraq, on that day when that rocket propelled grenade landed in my lap and exploded, we did. The aircraft held together, and we survived it.
  • And we were ten feet above the trees and we looked and we had no avionics and we could tell that the hydraulics were next. And if we had relied on our simulator training, we would have done what dark pilot humor always said, which was “we’re going to die anyways, let’s change spots and leave a mystery for the accident investigators to figure out what the heck happened.”
  • But we didn’t.
  • We fought to fly that aircraft, because our training, in the cockpit, in real world flight conditions, taught us that we could do it. And led by the expertise of my pilot in command, we landed the aircraft and saved our entire flight crew.
  • I would not be alive today but for the in-cockpit experience, gained through many hard-earned flight hours over a decade of training. 
  • It was actual, real-world experience, not a flight simulation that made us prepared and ready to respond to a life-threatening emergency with level heads and swift action. With instinct.
  • Of course, my experience is not unique.
  • When the Hero of the Hudson, Captain Sully Sullenberger implores Congress to understand that the combined 40,000-plus flight hours between him and his First Officer were critical in saving 155 lives on that January 15, 2009 day, we should listen. 
  • Do you think that prior to that day there were any flight simulations of a dual engine failure from bird strike followed by ditching in the Hudson river? By any airline? By any flight school? No!
  • In fact, when that very simulation was run after the miracle on the Hudson, even with the flight crews experiencing and expecting the scenario, they still crashed time after time that simulated emergency. It was pilot-in-cockpit flying experience that saved the miracle on the Hudson.
  • My experience as both a pilot, responsible for the lives of my crew and passengers in the most hazardous conditions, along with my commitment to my leadership role on the Aviation Safety Subcommittee means that I cannot be complicit in efforts to compromise on safety for the flying public.
  • There has never been a worse time to consider weakening pilot certification requirements to produce less experienced pilots.
  • 2023 has already been a chilling year for our civil aviation system.
  • We’ve witnessed a disturbing rise of near-deadly close calls that led the FAA to convene an unprecedented safety summit where the Acting Administrator warned that the entire aviation industry needs not to grow complacent—because complacency kills.
  • NTSB is treating the recent uptick in near misses as a national crisis and investigating these incidents to determine whether systemic problems are a root cause.
  • Some observers believe the surge in hiring that was necessary to address the perfect storm of pre-pandemic buyouts and the post-COVID travel boom has simply resulted in a less experienced workforce more prone to mistakes. 
  • We must treat these unnerving near-misses as red flags and be proactive in strengthening safety requirements to make sure that these close calls do not become precursor events for a catastrophic incident.
  • The last thing we should be doing is weakening Part 121 certification standards. We’ve had 7 close-calls most recently and the answer is not “let’s reduce pilot training.” It’s the pilot who prevented those close-calls from becoming accidents in the first place.
  • As a pilot, I learned the value of real-world experience. Trust me, hours in that cockpit, in the sky, matter.
  • Simulators are a valuable training tool; I applaud them, I have made use of them. But they are no substitute for the real thing.
  • Life-saving instincts are earned through hours of hard work and dedication to the craft of piloting a real aircraft with real stakes.
  • Look, I know we’ve experienced a perfect storm of major carriers buying out thousands of their most-experienced pilots, followed by a post-pandemic surge in air travel demand that has created a temporary shortage of pilots and first officers, especially for regional airlines. The consequences for communities, especially in rural airports, have been real and painful. I see them myself in my home state.
  • I understand the temptation to cut corners or chase the false promise of a “quick fix” to a systemic challenge.
  • But weakening a pillar of our post-COVID reforms won’t magically solve the need for more pilots.
  • Believe me, I’ve asked for the specifics: “if we reduced the minimum flight hours from 1,500 to 1,000—how many more pilots would be available in the following calendar year? What about 800 hours? What if we dropped it to 500 or 250? How many more pilots would you have then?”
  • And yet, to date, I’ve received no precise estimates, let alone any credible projections.
  • At this point, I question whether the special interests pushing to weaken the 1,500-hour rule even have a methodology or model to measure the relationship between certain certification standards and the availability of pilots.
  • I’m not the only one who has stress-tested the industry assertions and come away with more questions than answers.
  • Last year, FAA rejected a petition for an exemption to the flight hours requirement, and explicitly stated, and I quote: “the FAA has previously concluded the argument that an exemption would serve to address a pilot shortage is overly simplistic and does not present a persuasive argument.”
  • Foreign carriers not subject to the 1,500 hour rule also experienced workforce challenges post-pandemic, and yet they’re not reducing their requirements. This bolsters FAA’s conclusion.
  • Simply put, reducing hours—even just for restricted ATPs—represents a serious risk with no reward. It represents an unacceptable backsliding, a dangerous complacency in an industry where complacency kills.
  • As Chair of the Aviation Safety Subcommittee, as a professional aviator, as a private pilot, I am holding the line on safety.
  • I want to encourage my colleagues to focus on the long list of other, more urgent aviation issues facing our country. Now is not the time to go backwards on our post-COVID safety system. And there has not been a single aviation fatality due to pilot error since the 1,500-hour rule was put into effect.
  • Now is not the time to put corporate profits ahead of the lives of our constituents who may want to board a commercial flight in the future. 
  • A vote to reduce the 1,500-hour rule for pilot training will mean blood on your hands when the inevitable accident occurs as a result of an inadequately trained flight crew.
  • I urge my colleagues to uphold the 1,500-hour rule. I yield the floor.

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Ahead of Juneteenth Federal Holiday, Reed Encourages RIers to Mark the Occasion with Reflection, Observance & Celebration

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

WASHINGTON, DC – In advance of the upcoming Juneteenth federal holiday, which is recognized on June 19, U.S. Senator Jack Reed is encouraging all Rhode Islanders to mark the occasion with reflection, observance, and hopeful celebration.

Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.  It is also known as Emancipation Day, Jubilee Day, and Juneteenth Independence Day.  A blend of the words June and nineteenth, the holiday marks June 19, 1865: the day when U.S. Major General Gordon Granger and Union soldiers rode into Galveston, Texas and communicated news of General Order No. 3, which announced that, in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation, “all slaves are free” to the last remaining confederate outposts, who had yet to hear the news and where Black people were still enslaved more than two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.  It also came about two months after Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union Army – an event generally considered to mark the end of the Civil War.

Over the years, Juneteenth has been celebrated by many Americans with family and community gatherings, parades, parties, and cultural exhibitions.

In 2021, Senator Reed helped pass legislation, the Juneteenth Independence Day Act, which President Biden signed into law, making Juneteenth an official federal holiday.

This year, Senator Reed plans to attend several Juneteenth events to help honor the holiday with fellow Rhode Islanders, including speaking engagements at the Newport Juneteenth commemoration at Washington Square Park in Newport and the fifth annual Juneteenth RI Festival in Roger Williams Park in Providence.  He also joined President Biden and Vice President Harris this week at the White House for a Juneteenth celebration in Washington, DC.

Today, Senator Reed stated:

“Great democracies must be honest about the past and learn from history.  I was proud to help make Juneteenth a federal holiday.  It is a day of reflection and emancipation celebration that commemorates the end of slavery and recognizes the enduring impacts of slavery and injustice.  It is also a joyous salute to freedom, liberty, and human dignity and an invitation to learn more about our shared American history.  It offers an opportunity to gratefully recognize the many historic contributions and achievements of Black Americans and honor their resilience, faith in our nation’s founding principle that all are created equal, and their service to that cause.  They have positively shaped and enriched our culture and communities, the state, and the nation in countless ways.  

“Juneteenth is also a day of hope and recognition that while the enduring stain of slavery persists, we must actively work to make our society more just and combat racial discrimination.  One of the ways we can do that is by ensuring voting rights for all and truly equal access to the ballot box.

“Even today, voter disenfranchisement and needless barriers to voting are all too common and often targeted at communities of color.  Our democracy is at its best when every voter has an opportunity to exercise their right to vote and have their voices heard.

“I hope Rhode Islanders from all walks of life will have an enjoyable and engaging Juneteenth celebration.  There are lots of ways to honor the day and be part of the celebration.  Together, we must all renew our commitment toward building a brighter future and more perfect union.”

In Rhode Island, Juneteenth has been recognized as an observance since 2012.

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Murkowski Welcomes PILT Payments, Over $35 Million to Alaska

Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

06.15.23

Program Provides Economic Boost for Alaskan Communities

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) announced today that the Department of the Interior is distributing $35.4 million to eligible local governments across Alaska through the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. To help offset the cost of maintaining a variety of community services, the PILT program provides annual payments to local governments in the state that contain federal lands that are not subject to state or local taxation. This revenue supports local governments by providing essential services, such as the construction of public schools and roads, firefighting and police protection, and search-and-rescue operations.

Through her role as Ranking Member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murkowski worked to secure full funding at $578.8 million for the nationwide PILT program in Fiscal Year 2023.

 “As a senior appropriator, securing funding for the PILT program is always one of my top priorities. Over 60 percent of Alaska’s lands are controlled by the federal government, which, unlike private lands, aren’t subject to local taxes, creating challenges for rural communities to ensure funding for essential projects and services. This funding will play a crucial role in allowing boroughs across the state to maintain public safety services and keep their schools up and running,” said Senator Murkowski.

2023 Payments to Alaskan Communities

COUNTY

PAYMENT

ALEUTIANS EAST BOROUGH

$719,988

ALEUTIANS WEST CENSUS AREA

$1,059,430

BETHEL CENSUS AREA

$2,269,337

BRISTOL BAY BOROUGH

$177,559

CHUGACH CENSUS AREA

$1,307,831

COPPER RIVER CENSUS AREA

$557,260

DENALI BOROUGH

$337,533

DILLINGHAM CENSUS AREA

$1,011,119

FAIRBANKS NORTHSTAR BOROUGH

$524,728

HAINES BOROUGH

$430,148

HOONAH-ANGOON CENSUS AREA

$494,118

JUNEAU CITY & BOROUGH

$2,737,925

KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH

$3,634,007

KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH

$1,371,795

KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH

$1,753,028

KUSILVUK CENSUS AREA

$1,387,136

LAKE & PENINSULA BOROUGH

$300,030

MATANUSKA SUSITNA BOROUGH

$4,212,725

MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE

$827,259

MUNICIPALITY-SKAGWAY

$205,118

NOME CENSUS AREA

$1,482,692

NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH

$1,589,298

NORTHWEST ARTIC BOROUGH

$1,387,136

PETERSBURG BOROUGH

$711,089

PRINCE OF WALES CENSUS AREA

$1,190,550

S.E. FAIRBANKS CENSUS AREA

$1,307,830

SITKA CITY BOROUGH

$817,985

WRANGELL BOROUGH

$435,426

YAKUTAT BOROUGH

$149,168

YUKON KOYUKUK CENSUS AREA

$1,059,429

TOTAL

$35,448,677

 

 

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Note: Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is unattended. For further information, please contact Senator Murkowski’s press office at 202-224-9301 or 202-224-8069. Visit our website at http://murkowski.senate.gov

 

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Cortez Masto, Rosen Announce Resolution Recognizing the Vegas Golden Knights for Their First Stanley Cup Championship

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

June 15, 2023

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) delivered a resolution to the United States Senate recognizing the historic win by the Vegas Golden Knights in the National Hockey League Stanley Cup Final on June 13, 2023.

“From inspiring Nevadans across the state to clinching their first Stanley Cup title, the Vegas Golden Knights’ achievements in just six seasons are truly remarkable,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Their teamwork, talent, and dedication to Nevada have made them champions since day one, and now they have the trophy to prove it.”

“Since they started in Las Vegas six years ago, the Golden Knights have been making our entire state proud year after year,” said Senator Rosen. “After an incredible season, they have brought the Stanley Cup to the Battle Born State and once again proved that Las Vegas is a world-renowned sports hub. I’m proud to help introduce this resolution to recognize a truly historic achievement.”

This is the second time in six years that the Golden Knights have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, and their win marks the team’s first NHL championship and the second major league professional sports championship in the history of the state of Nevada. The resolution highlights the historic win, the Vegas Golden Knights players, coaches, and staff, and the fans who have made the Golden Knights one of the most exciting new sports team in recent history. It also honors the team’s special role in uniting Las Vegas during their inaugural season following the Route 91 Harvest Festival tragedy, and their continued dedication to serving the City.

Find a copy of the resolution HERE.

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Cortez Masto, Rosen Announce Over $31 Million for Rural Nevada Counties

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

June 15, 2023

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced that the Department of the Interior (DOI) has provided $31,196,044 under the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program for rural counties in Nevada for fiscal Year 2023.

“I’ve always championed this program to support rural Nevada counties pay their firefighters and police officers, repair aging infrastructure, and fund education and conservation projects,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m glad to see even more funding headed to Nevada this year, and I’ll continue to protect this program and will always advocate for our rural counties to receive the resources they need.”

“With the majority of Nevada’s land under federal management, it’s critical that communities in our state receive PILT payments to provide essential services, including paying law enforcement and first responders,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m glad to see that dozens of local governments in Nevada will receive over $31 million through PILT this year, and I will fight to ensure rural communities in Nevada continue to receive their fair share of funding.”

PILT payments are federal payments to local governments that help offset losses in property taxes due to non-taxable federal lands within those governments’ boundaries. PILT payments support local governments in carrying out such vital services as firefighting and police protection, construction of public schools and roads, and search-and-rescue operations. The payments are made annually for tax-exempt federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (all agencies of the Department of the Interior), the U.S. Forest Service (part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture), and for federal water projects and some military installations. A full breakdown of FY2023 PILT payments by county is available here.

Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been champions of the PILT program, and they have repeatedly called for a long-term solution to secure the PILT program for the future. Both Senators are also cosponsors of the Small County PILT Parity Act, legislation that would modify the PILT formula so that counties with populations under 5,000 would receive increased PILT payments.

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Cortez Masto Introduces Legislation to Protect Water Supply for More Than 1 Million Nevadans By Allowing Horizon Lateral Water Pipeline to Move Forward

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

June 15, 2023

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced legislation to ensure Southern Nevada Water Authority’s (SNWA) Horizon Lateral water pipeline project can be constructed underground through Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA). This pipeline will provide water for over a million Nevadans, dramatically improving Las Vegas’s water system and protecting residents from outages. Cortez Masto’s legislation would facilitate the responsible construction of this pipeline, while also protecting additional sensitive desert landscape by increasing the size of Sloan Canyon NCA by over 9,000 acres.  

“Innovative projects like the Horizon Lateral pipeline could protect water access for more than a million Nevadans and ensure Las Vegas has sustainable, reliable water infrastructure,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This legislation will increase the capacity of our entire water system in the valley while protecting our unique ecosystems and the residents and businesses in Henderson.”

“We appreciate Senator Cortez Masto introducing legislation to help increase water service reliability for the Las Vegas Valley,” said John Entsminger, Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager. “In addition to water conservation, protecting and enhancing water infrastructure is paramount, and this legislation helps ensure Southern Nevada’s regional water system has the necessary capacity and redundancy to not only meet the needs of today, but also the challenges of tomorrow.”

Currently, SNWA operates one large water pipeline, the South Valley Lateral, that serves approximately 40% of the residents and businesses in the Las Vegas valley, including the entire City of Henderson. The Las Vegas Valley needs another water pipeline in order to support the growing population, increase the reliability and capacity of the existing water delivery system, and protect Las Vegas residents from water outages in the event of an emergency.

After years of study and engagement with valley stakeholders, SNWA determined the safest, most effective, and least disruptive route for the Horizon Lateral would be via an underground pipeline through the Sloan Canyon NCA, as opposed to constructing it through the City of Henderson. This route saves ratepayers $200 million, minimizes disturbances to both Henderson residents and the land in Sloan Canyon, and ensures the water delivery system provides redundancy in emergency situations and flexibility in planning for a growing community. The Senator’s legislation to support the pipeline’s construction on this route would also expand Sloan Canyon’s conservation area by 9,290 acres to bring the total NCA acreage to 57,728 acres.

Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader in the Senate working to support conservation efforts and combat drought. As part of the Great American Outdoors Act, she secured permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Cortez Masto fought to deliver $4 billion to combat drought in the states bordering the Colorado River in the Inflation Reduction Act and secured $450 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to fund large-scale water recycling projects, including one that would provide water for more than 500,000 households in Southern Nevada and California.

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Van Hollen, Cardin, Warner, Kaine Statement on the FAA Reauthorization

Source: United States Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen

June 15, 2023

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin (both D-Md.) along with Senators Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) issued the following statement regarding legislation to reauthorize Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs:

“The three airports of the Washington metropolitan area have worked in tandem for decades to connect the nation’s capital to destinations around the world while serving as centerpieces of the region’s economy. We will strongly oppose any FAA reauthorization that destabilizes this tried-and-true equilibriumby expanding the number of flights or passengers into and out of National. Any such interference by Congress would disrupt the balance among the region’s airports, generate longer lines and more delays at DCA, create more noise for nearby residents, and hurt local economies in both of our states.”

Acknowledging the physical limitations at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA), Congress has since 1986 restricted the number of nonstop flights that can originate out of DCA to airports outside of a 1,250-mile perimeter, while Washington Dulles International (IAD) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) were planned to fully support the region’s growing aviation needs. However, in past FAA reauthorization bills, Congress has made changes to these rules that have disrupted the balance in this three-airportsystem by adding additional flights from Reagan to destinations outside the 1,250-mile perimeter. These changes in flight activity have produced significant stress on DCA’s facilities, from strained roadways and limited parking availability to overburdened baggage systems, and created frustrations for travelers, businesses, and local residents.

In March, Senators Van Hollen, Cardin, Warner, and Kaine sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee strongly opposing any further changes at airports that serve residents of the National Capital Area. Senators Van Hollen, Cardin, Warner, and Kaine also penned an op-ed yesterday urging their colleagues to oppose changes to the current slot and perimeter rules at DCA.