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Cortez Masto Votes to Pass FY2023 NDAA, Highlights Nevada Priorities She Secured in Legislation Including Responsible Expansion of the Fallon Range Training Complex

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

December 15, 2022

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 and announced the Nevada priorities she helped secure in the bill. Senator Cortez Masto’s legislation to responsibly expand the Navy’s Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) was included in the final NDAA. In addition, Senator Cortez Masto worked so the bill includes additional support for Nevada military installations, pay raises for service members, improved access to quality housing for military families, and support for American allies and partners. The FY2023 NDAA also includes an important update to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that Senator Cortez Masto secured to fund vital Lake Tahoe restoration projects and Western water infrastructure.   

“I’ve always stood up for our service members and their families, and I’m proud I was able to secure critical provisions in this year’s final bill to support our military and improve our national security,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This legislation includes measures I fought for to increase pay and benefits for service members and their families, maintain and improve Nevada military installations, support our allies, and secure a responsible expansion of the Navy’s Fallon Range Training Complex.”

The FY2023 NDAA includes a 4.6% pay raise for both military service members and Department of Defense (DoD) civilian employees, measures to improve the quality of military housing, and funding for weapons and defense systems to support our allies and partners, including Israel and Ukraine. In addition, the following legislative initiatives supported by Senator Cortez Masto were included in the Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023: 

  • Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) expansion.
    • This agreement secured by Senator Cortez Masto will provide the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC) with an additional 558,535 acres for military training vital to our national security and designate over 581,887 acres of conservation, wilderness, and other protected areas. It also will hold a total of 18,170 acres of land in trust for the Walker River Paiute and Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribes and provide the Tribes with vital funding to preserve their history, knowledge, and culture. Additionally, the agreement will allow Churchill County and Lander County to access land for economic growth.
  • Support for Nevada’s military installations, including:
    • $159 million for Naval Air Station (NAS) Fallon Military construction to modernize the base that trains our Navy’s Carrier Airwings.
    • $18 million for the operation of the Army National Guard Harry Reid Training Center in Reno.
    • $7.2 million for a dormitory at Nellis Air Force Base to address a housing shortage among junior enlisted service members.
    • $62.6 million for the Nevada Test Site
    • Legislation requiring the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on opportunities for providing support services to Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) crew, including those stationed at Nevada’s Creech AFB.
  • Inclusion of Senator Cortez Masto’s priorities in this year’s Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), the text of which was included in the NDAA, allowing for:
    • $50 million to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Lake Tahoe “108 Program” to assist with environmental infrastructure projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
    • $415 million for the Western Rural Water program, which supports projects that provide safe water, waste disposal, and pollution control in rural communities.
    • $25 million for a pilot program the Senator helped establish to address aquatic invasive species in Alpine Lakes such as Lake Tahoe, Crater Lake, and Yellowstone Lake.  

Senator Cortez Masto is a champion in the Senate for our service members and their families, as well as our veterans. Cortez Masto has passed legislation through the annual National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA) to help veterans exposed to Agent Orange get the treatment they need. As part of the NDAA of 2021, she secured measures to improve mental health services for members of the National Guard and Reserves, support veterans in getting the retirement benefits owed to them, and increase the transparency and efficiency of the Department of Defense’s TRICARE medical billing practices.

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Wyden Statement on Judicial Information Bill

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

December 15, 2022

Washington, D.C. – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement objecting to the inclusion of a bill restricting the accessibility of information about judges and their family members.

“I’ve been raising concerns about the judge information bill since July of 2021. Unfortunately, my concerns were ignored by the bill’s authors, even after a host of civil liberties and government accountability groups highlighted serious concerns about how this bill will threaten free speech and the ability of the press to investigate corruption and ethics violations by judges and their family members,” Wyden said. “While there is a general consensus that judges and their family need new protections against threats to their safety, this poorly drafted bill will not work in practice, will not meaningfully protect judges and will run roughshod over the First Amendment.”

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HYDE-SMITH TOUTS END OF BIDEN MILITARY VACCINE MANDATE, FOCUS ON NATIONAL SECURITY NEEDS IN DEFENSE BILL

Source: United States Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss)

HYDE-SMITH TOUTS END OF BIDEN MILITARY VACCINE MANDATE, FOCUS ON NATIONAL SECURITY NEEDS IN DEFENSE BILL

Miss. Senator Will Vote for Passage of Defense Policy Bill, Nixing the Vaccine Mandate


VIDEO:  Senator Hyde-Smith Touts End of Biden Military Vaccine Mandate, Support for the Armed Forces.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the U.S Senate nearing passage of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today highlighted the successful effort to repeal the Biden administration’s military COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Hyde-Smith spoke at a news conference Thursday with her fellow colleagues who warned Senate leadership in November that they would oppose moving to the NDAA unless the bill terminated the vaccine mandate, which has resulted in the dishonorable discharge of thousands of servicemembers and unmet recruitment and retention goals.  The maneuver prompted bicameral negotiators to drop the mandate, despite strong administration opposition.

“Rescinding these mandates will save thousands of service members from being wrongly terminated and allow them to focus on what they need to be focused on and that’s national security missions, what they signed up for,” Hyde-Smith said.  “Ensuring that our service members are protected and equipped with the tools that they need to defend this country must be our top priority, not targeting those who do not want the COVID vaccine.”

“I am so grateful for our brave service men and women.  Everybody on this platform, we promise to you that we’re going to stand for their freedoms just as they’re standing for our freedoms,” the Mississippi Senator said.

Hyde-Smith indicated she will vote for the NDAA (HR.7776), a military and national defense policy measure that authorizes crucial funding for the U.S. Armed Forces.

Items of interest in the FY2023 NDAA:

  • Increases authorized defense funding by $45 billion above President Biden’s initial insufficient budget request, including $32.6 billion for shipbuilding.
  • Authorizes funding to support a 4.6 percent pay raise for our military service members.
  • Authorizes $2.7 billion to procure new ammunitions, which in part will backfill equipment sent to Ukraine while also bolstering U.S. production capacity.
  • Extends much needed resources to the Indo-Pacific via the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, continuing improvements to U.S. force posture in the Indo-Pacific to deter and, if necessary, defeat Chinese aggression.
  • Continues previous efforts to support military families, including ensuring that military spouses have access to meaningful employment when they move around the country.
  • Repeals the President’s military vaccine mandate to protect service members from dishonorable discharges for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Senator Coons statement on the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit

Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) released the following statement today as the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit closes:

“The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit strengthens U.S. engagement with nations across Africa. I am thrilled that the Biden administration resumed this important summit and recommitted to deepening relationships between the United States and African countries across a range of critical sectors.

“President Biden’s remarks yesterday showed how important the relationships between the United States and African nations are in the 21st century. Nations across Africa are true partners in trade, environmental protection, and security. The president’s call for the African Union to be admitted to the G-20 is a clear statement of that partnership.

“Today’s announcement of a new shared commitment to food security in Africa has the potential to alleviate a very real food crisis on the continent and make substantial progress by the next African Union Summit in 2023. It will ensure that African nations are more easily able to produce and utilize their own food through immediate and long-term investments so that the continent is less vulnerable to global shocks like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

“This week, I’m also glad to have brought together African leaders to highlight the progress our partnerships are yielding on global conservation, strengthening the rule of law, and security cooperation.

“On Monday, the International Conservation Caucus Foundation and I hosted a reception to learn more about conservation efforts throughout the continent. President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon and President Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana discussed their respective countries’ leadership on the issue, and the importance of preserving wildlife and conserving wild spaces while prioritizing human development.

“The U.S. Foundation for International Conservation Act, which I introduced with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), manages that balancing act by leveraging capital from the private and philanthropic sectors to fund as much as $2 billion for protected areas and the communities surrounding them over the next decade. When such conservation efforts are supported by local stewards, they have the opportunity to provide long-term benefits for not just Africa, but the whole world.

“On Tuesday, I hosted President Patrice Talon of Benin, Prime Minister Patrick Achi of Cote d’Ivoire, President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, President Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, and President Faure Gnassingbe of Togo at an event in the U.S. Capitol to discuss security and economic challenges and the United States’ role in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity throughout Africa.

“One topic of discussion was the Global Fragility Act, which I coauthored with Senator Graham. Under this legislation, signed into law in 2019, the United States works with local partners to reduce violence and build resiliency in selected countries around the world. Three years after its enactment, there are still a few challenges before full implementation. However, I was glad for the opportunity this week to discuss a successful path forward with U.S. government officials and African leaders from Coastal West Africa and Mozambique.

“Overall, I am more optimistic than ever about the future of American relations with the continent and its people. I look forward to working with our African partners to build on the progress made at the summit. Together, we will strive to address global health, invest in African businesses and entrepreneurship, promote the rule of law and human rights, and tackle climate change.”

Senator Coons is Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations and a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, where he is a current member and former Chair of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Policy. He is also Co-Chair of the Senate Climate Solutions and International Conservation caucuses.

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Van Hollen Statement on First PCAOB Inspections of China-based Companies

Source: United States Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen

December 15, 2022

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee and co-author of the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, released the following statement regarding the PCAOB’s first action to inspect China-based companies following the SEC-PCAOB agreement this August implementing the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act:

“When we authored the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act and fought to pass it into law, we wanted to ensure that all foreign companies operating in U.S. markets – regardless of where they’re based – were held to the same standards. Today’s progress shows the importance of our legislation, and I commend the PCAOB for getting this done. Moving forward we must continue to closely monitor China’s compliance to the agreement – we’ll be watching what they do, not just what they say.”

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Rosen-Backed Bipartisan END FENTANYL Act Passes Senate

Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

Bipartisan Bill Would Help U.S. Law Enforcement Prevent Drug Smuggling And Save Lives

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), applauded news that the bipartisan Eradicating Narcotic Drugs and Formulating Effective New Tools to Address National Yearly Losses of Life (END FENTANYL) Act, legislation introduced by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and co-sponsored by Senator Rosen, has passed the Senate. This legislation, which Rosen helped move through committee earlier this year, would require the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to update its policies at least once every three years to ensure drug interdiction guidance is up to date. Many CBP policies that outline drug interdiction practices are outdated and do not provide guidance on how to handle drugs such as fentanyl. 

“Fentanyl is a deadly drug that is killing people in Nevada and across our nation,” said Senator Rosen. “This bipartisan legislation will ensure that law enforcement officers are better prepared by providing them with updated tools and training to prevent the spread of dangerous drugs and help save lives. I’m glad to have co-sponsored this important bill and helped see it pass out of the Senate.”

The bipartisan END FENTANYL Act would:

  • Require the Commissioner of CBP to review and update the Office of Field Operations’ policies and handbooks, as necessary, and at least once every three years in order to respond to illegal activity, such as the smuggling of drugs and humans, along the border.
  • Require the Commissioner of CBP to submit a report to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives that summarizes the policy and manual changes every three years.

This legislation builds off the 2019 GAO report, “Land Ports of Entry: CBP Should Update Policies and Enhance Analysis of Inspections,” which found that drug interdiction guidance has not been updated in 20 years. Senator Rosen has taken action to help address the threat of dangerous and illegal drugs coming into the United States. Her bipartisan DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act was signed into law last Congress and would ensure that Department of Homeland Security personnel have the tools needed — like chemical screening devices — to more easily detect synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, which are contributing to the devastating substance abuse crisis in Nevada and across the country. 

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Hawley Delivers Remarks on Senate Passage of His Bill to Ban TikTok on Government Devices

Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) delivered remarks on the Senate Floor following the Senate’s passage of his legislation to ban federal employees from using TikTok on government devices. 

“Last night, the Senate took the important step of unanimously on a bipartisan basis passing legislation to ban TikTok on all government devices. […] Never has the security threat to the American people from the Chinese Communist Party been more grave, and never has the determination on the part of the Chinese Communist Party to leverage every possible asset, every possible platform to gather information, personal information from the American people, been more serious than it is now. That is why last night’s action by this body is so critical,” said Senator Hawley.

Senator Hawley originally introduced the legislation last Congress and it unanimously passed the Senate in August 2020. In April 2021, Senators Hawley, Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Rubio (R-Fla.), and Cotton (R-Ark.) reintroduced the legislation and it unanimously passed in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Senator Hawley has held hearings on the security concerns around TikTok since 2019, and questioned company representatives as recently as September 14, 2022.

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passage of his legislation

Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

Tonight U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) bill to ban TikTok on government devices unanimously passed the Senate for the second time. Senator Hawley’s bill would follow up on steps already taken by the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, and TSA to ban the app on federal government devices due to security concerns.

“TikTok is a Trojan Horse for the Chinese Communist Party. It’s a major security risk to the United States, and until it is forced to sever ties with China completely, it has no place on government devices,” said Senator Hawley. “States across the U.S. are banning TikTok on government devices. It’s time for Joe Biden and the Democrats to help do the same.”

Senator Hawley originally introduced the legislation last Congress and it unanimously passed the Senate in August 2020. In April 2021, Senators Hawley, Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Rubio (R-Fla.), and Cotton (R-Ark.) reintroduced the legislation and it unanimously passed in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Senator Hawley has held hearings on the security concerns around TikTok since 2019, and questioned company representatives as recently as September 14, 2022.

Full text of the bill is available here.

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Cornyn Highlights Texas Priorities in Defense Bill

Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

We have a responsibility to support our troops and make sure they have what they need to do the job we’ve asked them to do.

“This legislation will authorize $315 million for military construction projects in Texas alone.”

WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed the importance of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes legislation he authored to prevent sexual assault and harassment in the military, support military spouses, and authorize the Texas Coastal Spine Project. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.

“As members of the Senate, we have a responsibility to support our troops and make sure they have what they need to do the job we’ve asked them to do, and the [National] Defense Authorization Act is one of the most important ways we do just that.”

“This bill provides the largest pay raise for our troops in two decades.”

“This…will also authorize additional funding to Texas school districts that serve military personnel.”

“It will authorize the extension of reimbursement authority for spouse relicensing to ensure that nurses, teachers, and other spouses whose jobs may require a state-specific license are not saddled with an additional expense.”

“I’m glad it includes bipartisan legislation that I introduced to improve the tools that military commanders will have at their disposal to prevent sexual assault and domestic violence within the Department of Defense.”

“In addition to supporting our servicemembers, this legislation will authorize $315 million for military construction projects in Texas alone.” 

“The Water Resources Development Act has also been inserted in the defense authorization bill, but specifically this bill, as part of that WRDA bill, will authorize the Texas Coastal Spine Project, which will provide basic protections of infrastructure against future hurricanes along the Texas Gulf Coast.”

“If another hurricane were to wipe out Houston like Hurricane Harvey tried to do, obviously that’s something that will have an impact not just locally, not just in my state, but across the nation as a whole. So this coastal spine project is very important.” 

“I believe that after years of hard work, the Texas Coastal Spine Project has begun the long, long road to final construction, and I’m glad this project will be fully authorized in the Water Resources Development Act. The next step is to secure the funding to begin that lengthy construction process, and I’m eager to work with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make that happen.”

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Cornyn, Klobuchar Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act Heads to President’s Desk

Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

Legislation Supports Law Enforcement Response to Individuals in Crisis

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) released the following statements after their Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize critical grants for mental health courts, crisis intervention teams, and other programs that have helped law enforcement assist individuals experiencing mental illness for nearly two decades, passed the Senate and is now headed to the President’s desk:

“The mental health and crisis intervention programs funded by these important grants have made a difference in the lives of thousands,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m grateful to my House and Senate colleagues for working with me on this critical legislation to reauthorize these grants and give mental health courts and crisis intervention teams certainty that they can continue their life-saving work.”

“As a former prosecutor, I’ve seen firsthand how public safety is improved by collaboration between law enforcement and mental health providers,” said Klobuchar. “This bipartisan legislation will help ensure that we have the training and resources to address mental health issues at all stages of the justice system, from equipping law enforcement to effectively respond to mental health calls to facilitating smooth reentry into society.”

Background:

The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act would reauthorize the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program (JMHCP) and make several improvements to provide grantees with greater options to respond and treat individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. The bill was led in the House by Reps. Bobby Scott (VA-3), Steve Chabot (OH-1), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), and Tom Emmer (MN-6), and would:

·        Support mental health courts and veterans treatment programs;

·        Support programs that offer specialized training for public safety officers and mental health providers;

·        Support co-responder teams that deploy mental health professionals with law enforcement and allow a 24/7, 365 response capability;

·        Enhance community capacity and linkage to care systems to ensure continuity of care and connection to mental health and substance use disorder crisis services;

·        And allow jurisdictions to integrate suicide prevention programs in jails and detention facilities.

In 2004, the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) created the JMHCP to help states and counties design and implement collaborative efforts between criminal justice and mental health systems. JMHCP grants have funded mental health courts and other court-based initiatives, diversion and deflection programs, crisis intervention teams, training for local police departments, and other programs to improve outcomes for people with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders who come into contact with the criminal justice system. JMHCP has provided a total of 568 grants to 49 states along with the District of Columbia, Guam, and American Samoa.

JMHCP was most recently reauthorized in 2016 as the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act, which was introduced by Sen. Cornyn. Provisions from this bill were signed into law as part of the 21st Century Cures Act.

The Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act is supported by the National Criminal Justice Association, American Correctional Association, American Legion, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), National Association of Social Workers (NASW), National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), National Association of Drug Court Professionals, Mental Health America (MHA), Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), American Psychiatric Association, National Alliance on Mental Illness, American Psychological Association, National Association of Counties (NACo), Major Cities Chiefs Association, National Sheriffs’ Association, Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA), Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH), Correctional Leaders Association, American Jail Association, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities.