U.S. Congress
Here's a look at documents from all members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate
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Moylan Brings Congressional Delegation to Guam to Advance Education & Workforce Priorities
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Rep.) -- Del. James Moylan, R-Guam, issued the following news release:
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Moylan Brings Congressional Delegation to Guam to Advance Education & Workforce Priorities
(Hagatna, Guam) -- Congressman James Moylan welcomed members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce to Guam for a congressional delegation (CODEL) visit focused on strengthening education, expanding workforce opportunities, and ensuring Guam's priorities are represented in federal policymaking.
The delegation included nine members of Congress:
* Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI)
* Rep. Joe Wilson ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Rep.) -- Del. James Moylan, R-Guam, issued the following news release: * * * Moylan Brings Congressional Delegation to Guam to Advance Education & Workforce Priorities (Hagatna, Guam) -- Congressman James Moylan welcomed members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce to Guam for a congressional delegation (CODEL) visit focused on strengthening education, expanding workforce opportunities, and ensuring Guam's priorities are represented in federal policymaking. The delegation included nine members of Congress: * Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) * Rep. Joe Wilson(R-SC)
* Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT)
* Rep. Michael Rulli (R-OH)
* Rep. James Moylan (R-GU)
* Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO)
* Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC)
* Rep. John Mannion (D-NY)
* Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ)
The visit included two stakeholder roundtable discussions that brought together leaders from Guam's education community, workforce agencies, labor organizations, the private sector, and local government.
"I want to sincerely thank Chairman Tim Walberg and my colleagues on the House Committee on Education and Workforce for making the trip to Guam and taking the time to engage directly with our community," said Congressman Moylan. "Their presence here demonstrates a recognition of Guam's importance and a commitment to ensuring our island's perspectives are included in the conversations taking place in Washington. Too often, decisions that affect Guam are made thousands of miles away without the benefit of hearing directly from our local community, and while I make it a point to bring Guam's story to Washington in every conversation, there is no substitute for seeing our island firsthand and hearing directly from our people."
Chairman Tim Walberg expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to visit Guam and emphasized the importance of ensuring that federal policies account for the island's unique needs as a U.S. territory.
"We're delighted to be here on Guam, in the home and District of Representative Moylan. Representative Moylan never lets us forget the various aspects of the specific needs here in Guam," said Chairman Walberg. "What you've made very clear is that Guam is a unique entity because you're an island, you're a territory, you're unto yourself in many ways, but you're also part of the United States, and there ought to be some flexibility in that, so we'll keep working at that."
During the education roundtable, participants discussed classroom infrastructure, teacher recruitment and retention, student achievement, and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between local educational institutions and the federal government.
Participants stressed the importance of maintaining a strong partnership with the federal government while ensuring Guam has the flexibility to tailor programs and funding to meet local needs. Chairman Walberg echoed that perspective and requested additional information identifying areas where Guam could benefit from increased flexibility in federal education funding and how those resources could be better aligned to support the island's priorities.
Following discussions surrounding Guam's aging school facilities, Rep. Adelita Grijalva requested additional information regarding the island's infrastructure needs, including estimated funding requirements and proposals aimed at creating a more unified educational system.
The workforce roundtable focused on preparing Guam's workforce to meet the demands of a changing economy while creating opportunities that extend beyond defense-related industries. Participants emphasized the importance of investing not only in projects, but also in the people behind them through workforce training, apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, and policies that create long-term economic opportunities for local residents.
Stakeholders also emphasized that addressing Guam's workforce challenges will require sustained federal partnerships and policies that reflect the realities of a small island economy. Discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening apprenticeship and workforce training programs, expanding opportunities across emerging industries, supporting key federal initiatives such as the H-2B program and the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, and identifying policies that will help build a stronger, more resilient, and self-sufficient economy.
"This visit reaffirmed what we've always known: Guam's challenges are unique, but so are our opportunities," said Moylan. "I thank Chairman Walberg and my fellow colleagues for valuing Guam's voice and recognizing that the best policies are developed by listening directly to the people they affect. By bringing members of Congress to our island, we've created an opportunity for meaningful dialogue that will help shape the policies impacting our students, our workforce, and our economy. I look forward to turning those conversations into meaningful action and strengthening the partnerships that will help move Guam forward."
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Original text here: https://moylan.house.gov/media/press-releases/moylan-brings-congressional-delegation-to-guam-to-advance-education-workforce-priorities
* * *
Moylan Brings Congressional Delegation to Guam to Advance Education & Workforce Priorities
(Hagatna, Guam) -- Congressman James Moylan welcomed members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce to Guam for a congressional delegation (CODEL) visit focused on strengthening education, expanding workforce opportunities, and ensuring Guam's priorities are represented in federal policymaking.
The delegation included nine members of Congress:
* Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI)
* Rep. Joe Wilson ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Rep.) -- Del. James Moylan, R-Guam, issued the following news release: * * * Moylan Brings Congressional Delegation to Guam to Advance Education & Workforce Priorities (Hagatna, Guam) -- Congressman James Moylan welcomed members of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce to Guam for a congressional delegation (CODEL) visit focused on strengthening education, expanding workforce opportunities, and ensuring Guam's priorities are represented in federal policymaking. The delegation included nine members of Congress: * Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) * Rep. Joe Wilson(R-SC)
* Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT)
* Rep. Michael Rulli (R-OH)
* Rep. James Moylan (R-GU)
* Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO)
* Rep. Mark Harris (R-NC)
* Rep. John Mannion (D-NY)
* Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ)
The visit included two stakeholder roundtable discussions that brought together leaders from Guam's education community, workforce agencies, labor organizations, the private sector, and local government.
"I want to sincerely thank Chairman Tim Walberg and my colleagues on the House Committee on Education and Workforce for making the trip to Guam and taking the time to engage directly with our community," said Congressman Moylan. "Their presence here demonstrates a recognition of Guam's importance and a commitment to ensuring our island's perspectives are included in the conversations taking place in Washington. Too often, decisions that affect Guam are made thousands of miles away without the benefit of hearing directly from our local community, and while I make it a point to bring Guam's story to Washington in every conversation, there is no substitute for seeing our island firsthand and hearing directly from our people."
Chairman Tim Walberg expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to visit Guam and emphasized the importance of ensuring that federal policies account for the island's unique needs as a U.S. territory.
"We're delighted to be here on Guam, in the home and District of Representative Moylan. Representative Moylan never lets us forget the various aspects of the specific needs here in Guam," said Chairman Walberg. "What you've made very clear is that Guam is a unique entity because you're an island, you're a territory, you're unto yourself in many ways, but you're also part of the United States, and there ought to be some flexibility in that, so we'll keep working at that."
During the education roundtable, participants discussed classroom infrastructure, teacher recruitment and retention, student achievement, and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between local educational institutions and the federal government.
Participants stressed the importance of maintaining a strong partnership with the federal government while ensuring Guam has the flexibility to tailor programs and funding to meet local needs. Chairman Walberg echoed that perspective and requested additional information identifying areas where Guam could benefit from increased flexibility in federal education funding and how those resources could be better aligned to support the island's priorities.
Following discussions surrounding Guam's aging school facilities, Rep. Adelita Grijalva requested additional information regarding the island's infrastructure needs, including estimated funding requirements and proposals aimed at creating a more unified educational system.
The workforce roundtable focused on preparing Guam's workforce to meet the demands of a changing economy while creating opportunities that extend beyond defense-related industries. Participants emphasized the importance of investing not only in projects, but also in the people behind them through workforce training, apprenticeship programs, career and technical education, and policies that create long-term economic opportunities for local residents.
Stakeholders also emphasized that addressing Guam's workforce challenges will require sustained federal partnerships and policies that reflect the realities of a small island economy. Discussions highlighted the importance of strengthening apprenticeship and workforce training programs, expanding opportunities across emerging industries, supporting key federal initiatives such as the H-2B program and the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, and identifying policies that will help build a stronger, more resilient, and self-sufficient economy.
"This visit reaffirmed what we've always known: Guam's challenges are unique, but so are our opportunities," said Moylan. "I thank Chairman Walberg and my fellow colleagues for valuing Guam's voice and recognizing that the best policies are developed by listening directly to the people they affect. By bringing members of Congress to our island, we've created an opportunity for meaningful dialogue that will help shape the policies impacting our students, our workforce, and our economy. I look forward to turning those conversations into meaningful action and strengthening the partnerships that will help move Guam forward."
* * *
Original text here: https://moylan.house.gov/media/press-releases/moylan-brings-congressional-delegation-to-guam-to-advance-education-workforce-priorities
Rep. Tlaib Responds to Targeting of Michigan Muslim Families
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, issued the following statement on Aug. 18, 2026:
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Rep. Tlaib responds to targeting of Michigan Muslim families
Dearborn, Mich. - U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) released the following statement in support of the Muslim community in Dearborn, Michigan, which is being targeted by Islamophobic white supremacists and Christian nationalists:
"Islamophobic racists are yet again marching in Dearborn to terrorize a whole faith community. Dearborn is a beautifully diverse place, home to a vibrant, loving Muslim community, and our families do ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, issued the following statement on Aug. 18, 2026: * * * Rep. Tlaib responds to targeting of Michigan Muslim families Dearborn, Mich. - U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) released the following statement in support of the Muslim community in Dearborn, Michigan, which is being targeted by Islamophobic white supremacists and Christian nationalists: "Islamophobic racists are yet again marching in Dearborn to terrorize a whole faith community. Dearborn is a beautifully diverse place, home to a vibrant, loving Muslim community, and our families donot deserve to be subjected to such hate and bigotry. Families are told to stay home for their own safety, unable to go back-to-school shopping, get groceries, or even walk outside. To all our Dearborn families and residents: I have your back. I wish I could take away this pain, but know that you are not alone. To our interfaith community that's standing in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors: thank you for speaking out against this hatred. We need more of this love and compassion.
"More leaders, including local elected officials, must speak out, especially against the local instigators participating in the spread of hatred under the guise of faith. Their silence is complacent and normalizes fearmongering and racism. We know that targeting any community doesn't allow any of us to be safe. People of all faiths and of all backgrounds belong, and deserve to practice their religion and celebrate their cultures freely without fear."
* * *
Original text here: https://tlaib.house.gov/posts/rep-tlaib-responds-to-targeting-of-michigan-muslim-families
* * *
Rep. Tlaib responds to targeting of Michigan Muslim families
Dearborn, Mich. - U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) released the following statement in support of the Muslim community in Dearborn, Michigan, which is being targeted by Islamophobic white supremacists and Christian nationalists:
"Islamophobic racists are yet again marching in Dearborn to terrorize a whole faith community. Dearborn is a beautifully diverse place, home to a vibrant, loving Muslim community, and our families do ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 -- Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Michigan, issued the following statement on Aug. 18, 2026: * * * Rep. Tlaib responds to targeting of Michigan Muslim families Dearborn, Mich. - U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) released the following statement in support of the Muslim community in Dearborn, Michigan, which is being targeted by Islamophobic white supremacists and Christian nationalists: "Islamophobic racists are yet again marching in Dearborn to terrorize a whole faith community. Dearborn is a beautifully diverse place, home to a vibrant, loving Muslim community, and our families donot deserve to be subjected to such hate and bigotry. Families are told to stay home for their own safety, unable to go back-to-school shopping, get groceries, or even walk outside. To all our Dearborn families and residents: I have your back. I wish I could take away this pain, but know that you are not alone. To our interfaith community that's standing in solidarity with their Muslim neighbors: thank you for speaking out against this hatred. We need more of this love and compassion.
"More leaders, including local elected officials, must speak out, especially against the local instigators participating in the spread of hatred under the guise of faith. Their silence is complacent and normalizes fearmongering and racism. We know that targeting any community doesn't allow any of us to be safe. People of all faiths and of all backgrounds belong, and deserve to practice their religion and celebrate their cultures freely without fear."
* * *
Original text here: https://tlaib.house.gov/posts/rep-tlaib-responds-to-targeting-of-michigan-muslim-families
Moylan Renews Fight for Radiation Justice; Brings Together National Coalition for Expanded RECA Legislation
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Rep.) -- Del. James Moylan, R-Guam, issued the following news release:
* * *
Moylan Renews Fight for Radiation Justice; Brings Together National Coalition for Expanded RECA Legislation
(Hagatna, Guam) -- Congressman James Moylan announced the introduction of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2026 (RECRA), bipartisan legislation that builds upon his efforts since his first year in Congress to ensure Guam and other communities harmed by the nation's nuclear testing receive the compensation and recognition they deserve.
Congressman Moylan has long ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Rep.) -- Del. James Moylan, R-Guam, issued the following news release: * * * Moylan Renews Fight for Radiation Justice; Brings Together National Coalition for Expanded RECA Legislation (Hagatna, Guam) -- Congressman James Moylan announced the introduction of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2026 (RECRA), bipartisan legislation that builds upon his efforts since his first year in Congress to ensure Guam and other communities harmed by the nation's nuclear testing receive the compensation and recognition they deserve. Congressman Moylan has longbeen an advocate for expanding RECA. Since first co-leading legislation to include Guam and other impacted communities, he has advanced bipartisan efforts through standalone legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act, and other legislative vehicles. This latest proposal seeks to address the remaining gaps left after Congress partially expanded RECA in 2025.
The legislation would expand eligibility to additional impacted communities, including Guam, extends the filing deadline by fifteen years, increases compensation, authorizes reimbursement of medical expenses, broadens the list of eligible diseases, streamlines the claims process through the use of affidavits where records are unavailable, and establishes a process for adding future classes of eligible individuals without requiring additional acts of Congress.
The bill also recognizes the unique challenges faced by many rural, Tribal, Native, and territorial communities, expands eligibility for atomic cleanup veterans, and directs a comprehensive study into the long-term and multi-generational health effects of radiation exposure.
"This legislation brings together a strong bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress, survivors, advocates, and communities who have refused to give up this fight," said Congressman Moylan. "Together, our voices are stronger, and together, we will keep fighting until every American harmed by radiation exposure receives the justice they have been denied. I'm not backing down until we get this across the finish line for the people of Guam who were impacted and all those still left behind."
Moylan's measure is backed by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers including co-lead Representatives Wesley Bell (D-MO), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), while additional members have signed on as cosponsors in support of their communities affected by radiation exposure
"Long before I got to Congress, I heard from St. Louisans who endured decades of health crises, economic struggles, and neglect after radioactive contamination from the Manhattan Project upended their lives. Families from across my district have suffered from terrible cancers, thyroid issues, and even death because of the improper storage of this deadly waste," said Congressman Wesley Bell (D-Missouri). "While no legislation can truly rectify that harm, this expansion of compensable diseases and increase in RECA benefits from $50,000 to $150,000, in addition to covering medical expenses, is a huge step in the right direction. Nothing can fully right this wrong, but this effort tips the scales toward justice -- for everyone from St. Louis to Guam."
"For generations, New Mexico's downwinders and uranium workers have carried the cost of our nation's nuclear legacy in their bodies, their families, and their communities," said Rep. Leger Fernandez (D-New Mexico). "Last year, after years of bipartisan work and relentless advocacy from survivors, advocates, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, we finally expanded RECA. That was a historic victory, but our work is not finished. This legislation recognizes a simple truth: more people were harmed than our laws have acknowledged. It expands access to compensation, extends the deadline so families have the time they need to come forward, and provides medical benefits because surviving radiation exposure should not mean facing the cost of care alone. It also recognizes the reality that many records have been lost to time by allowing affidavits to help prove work history and physical presence. New Mexicans deserve justice."
"For too long, Coloradans have been impacted by radiation from U.S. nuclear weapons production, testing, and uranium mining at Rocky Flats and Cotter Mill without the compensation they deserve. This bipartisan legislation could finally offer some relief for communities that have suffered without federal support despite decades of documented exposure," said Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colorado). "I'm going to continue to do all I can to push not only to extend RECA, but to expand it so that everyone who has been affected by these radioactive sites in my district and across the country gets the care they deserve."
"For decades, Pacific communities have lived with unanswered questions about the long-term consequences of America's nuclear weapons program," said Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-CNMI). "The Northern Mariana Islands deserves answers too. This issue was recently raised with me by members of our community who asked whether radioactive fallout from nuclear testing in the Pacific may have reached the Northern Mariana Islands and what that exposure could have meant for the health of our people. I want to give them credit for raising an important question that deserves to be examined. My responsibility as your Delegate is to listen when concerns are brought to me, look at the facts, and then determine what we can do about them. That is what we did here. We began examining the issue, brought the CNMI's concerns to our federal partners, and now this legislation calls for research into radiation exposure and its potential impacts on the Northern Mariana Islands, while also expanding compensation and improving access to health resources for communities affected by America's nuclear testing program.
I am grateful to Congressman James Moylan for his partnership and for working with me to ensure the CNMI was included in this legislation. We should not presume what the science will tell us. But our people deserve to have the question asked, the history examined, and the research done. This is how representative government should work: our community raises a concern, we listen, and then we get to work finding answers."
"Communities in my district have lived with the devastating legacy of radioactive contamination for far too long," said Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois). "Since my first term in Congress, I've fought to ensure these families receive the compensation and support they deserve. They shouldn't have to wait a second longer. This legislation is about righting that wrong by not only expanding access to compensation to the Metro East but also increasing the support available to those who were harmed. I am proud to lead this bill with Congressman Moylan to ensure impacted families and communities finally receive the relief and resources they deserve."
"Nevadans are still paying the price for decades of nuclear testing, with families across our state facing cancer, disease, and the loss of loved ones to radiation exposure," said Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nevada). "For too long, these families have had to fight just to be recognized and receive the compensation they are owed. Expanding RECA eligibility means more Nevadans will finally have access to that support. We cannot give families back the years they lost or the loved ones taken from them, but we can make sure they are not forgotten. I will keep fighting until every Nevadan harmed by this testing gets the recognition and compensation they deserve."
"For decades, communities across the West, especially in Nevada, have lived with the fallout from our nation's nuclear weapons program," said Rep. Congresswoman Dina Titus (D- Nevada). "Many were exposed to harmful radiation without even knowing it, and those who did know understood little about the long-term consequences. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act ensures these Cold Warriors receive the benefits they need and deserve. Radiation doesn't stop at county or state lines, and we need to ensure that all affected people get justice."
"I stand with the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium and all those that refuse to let the world forget what happened at the Trinity Site in July 1945. It is past time the U.S. government took full responsibility for the harm it has wrought on our Downwinder and other impacted communities, and this bill marks a major step in the right direction toward the compensation and recognition they deserve," said Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-New Mexico). "By cutting red tape for claimants, extending the filing period by 15 years, covering additional diseases caused by radiation, and so much more, this bill will make a meaningful difference in the lives of Downwinder communities in New Mexico and beyond, and I am proud to support it."
Moylan emphasized that the fight for justice continues.
"This fight is far from over," said Moylan. "I will continue working with survivors, advocates, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build support for this legislation until our people receive the recognition, justice, and compensation they deserve. I will not stop until Guam and every other excluded jurisdiction is heard and included."
* * *
Original text here: https://moylan.house.gov/media/press-releases/moylan-renews-fight-for-radiation-justice-brings-together-national-coalition-for-expanded-reca-legislation
* * *
Moylan Renews Fight for Radiation Justice; Brings Together National Coalition for Expanded RECA Legislation
(Hagatna, Guam) -- Congressman James Moylan announced the introduction of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2026 (RECRA), bipartisan legislation that builds upon his efforts since his first year in Congress to ensure Guam and other communities harmed by the nation's nuclear testing receive the compensation and recognition they deserve.
Congressman Moylan has long ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (Rep.) -- Del. James Moylan, R-Guam, issued the following news release: * * * Moylan Renews Fight for Radiation Justice; Brings Together National Coalition for Expanded RECA Legislation (Hagatna, Guam) -- Congressman James Moylan announced the introduction of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act of 2026 (RECRA), bipartisan legislation that builds upon his efforts since his first year in Congress to ensure Guam and other communities harmed by the nation's nuclear testing receive the compensation and recognition they deserve. Congressman Moylan has longbeen an advocate for expanding RECA. Since first co-leading legislation to include Guam and other impacted communities, he has advanced bipartisan efforts through standalone legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act, and other legislative vehicles. This latest proposal seeks to address the remaining gaps left after Congress partially expanded RECA in 2025.
The legislation would expand eligibility to additional impacted communities, including Guam, extends the filing deadline by fifteen years, increases compensation, authorizes reimbursement of medical expenses, broadens the list of eligible diseases, streamlines the claims process through the use of affidavits where records are unavailable, and establishes a process for adding future classes of eligible individuals without requiring additional acts of Congress.
The bill also recognizes the unique challenges faced by many rural, Tribal, Native, and territorial communities, expands eligibility for atomic cleanup veterans, and directs a comprehensive study into the long-term and multi-generational health effects of radiation exposure.
"This legislation brings together a strong bipartisan coalition of Members of Congress, survivors, advocates, and communities who have refused to give up this fight," said Congressman Moylan. "Together, our voices are stronger, and together, we will keep fighting until every American harmed by radiation exposure receives the justice they have been denied. I'm not backing down until we get this across the finish line for the people of Guam who were impacted and all those still left behind."
Moylan's measure is backed by a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers including co-lead Representatives Wesley Bell (D-MO), Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM), and Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), while additional members have signed on as cosponsors in support of their communities affected by radiation exposure
"Long before I got to Congress, I heard from St. Louisans who endured decades of health crises, economic struggles, and neglect after radioactive contamination from the Manhattan Project upended their lives. Families from across my district have suffered from terrible cancers, thyroid issues, and even death because of the improper storage of this deadly waste," said Congressman Wesley Bell (D-Missouri). "While no legislation can truly rectify that harm, this expansion of compensable diseases and increase in RECA benefits from $50,000 to $150,000, in addition to covering medical expenses, is a huge step in the right direction. Nothing can fully right this wrong, but this effort tips the scales toward justice -- for everyone from St. Louis to Guam."
"For generations, New Mexico's downwinders and uranium workers have carried the cost of our nation's nuclear legacy in their bodies, their families, and their communities," said Rep. Leger Fernandez (D-New Mexico). "Last year, after years of bipartisan work and relentless advocacy from survivors, advocates, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, we finally expanded RECA. That was a historic victory, but our work is not finished. This legislation recognizes a simple truth: more people were harmed than our laws have acknowledged. It expands access to compensation, extends the deadline so families have the time they need to come forward, and provides medical benefits because surviving radiation exposure should not mean facing the cost of care alone. It also recognizes the reality that many records have been lost to time by allowing affidavits to help prove work history and physical presence. New Mexicans deserve justice."
"For too long, Coloradans have been impacted by radiation from U.S. nuclear weapons production, testing, and uranium mining at Rocky Flats and Cotter Mill without the compensation they deserve. This bipartisan legislation could finally offer some relief for communities that have suffered without federal support despite decades of documented exposure," said Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colorado). "I'm going to continue to do all I can to push not only to extend RECA, but to expand it so that everyone who has been affected by these radioactive sites in my district and across the country gets the care they deserve."
"For decades, Pacific communities have lived with unanswered questions about the long-term consequences of America's nuclear weapons program," said Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-CNMI). "The Northern Mariana Islands deserves answers too. This issue was recently raised with me by members of our community who asked whether radioactive fallout from nuclear testing in the Pacific may have reached the Northern Mariana Islands and what that exposure could have meant for the health of our people. I want to give them credit for raising an important question that deserves to be examined. My responsibility as your Delegate is to listen when concerns are brought to me, look at the facts, and then determine what we can do about them. That is what we did here. We began examining the issue, brought the CNMI's concerns to our federal partners, and now this legislation calls for research into radiation exposure and its potential impacts on the Northern Mariana Islands, while also expanding compensation and improving access to health resources for communities affected by America's nuclear testing program.
I am grateful to Congressman James Moylan for his partnership and for working with me to ensure the CNMI was included in this legislation. We should not presume what the science will tell us. But our people deserve to have the question asked, the history examined, and the research done. This is how representative government should work: our community raises a concern, we listen, and then we get to work finding answers."
"Communities in my district have lived with the devastating legacy of radioactive contamination for far too long," said Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Illinois). "Since my first term in Congress, I've fought to ensure these families receive the compensation and support they deserve. They shouldn't have to wait a second longer. This legislation is about righting that wrong by not only expanding access to compensation to the Metro East but also increasing the support available to those who were harmed. I am proud to lead this bill with Congressman Moylan to ensure impacted families and communities finally receive the relief and resources they deserve."
"Nevadans are still paying the price for decades of nuclear testing, with families across our state facing cancer, disease, and the loss of loved ones to radiation exposure," said Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nevada). "For too long, these families have had to fight just to be recognized and receive the compensation they are owed. Expanding RECA eligibility means more Nevadans will finally have access to that support. We cannot give families back the years they lost or the loved ones taken from them, but we can make sure they are not forgotten. I will keep fighting until every Nevadan harmed by this testing gets the recognition and compensation they deserve."
"For decades, communities across the West, especially in Nevada, have lived with the fallout from our nation's nuclear weapons program," said Rep. Congresswoman Dina Titus (D- Nevada). "Many were exposed to harmful radiation without even knowing it, and those who did know understood little about the long-term consequences. The Radiation Exposure Compensation Reauthorization Act ensures these Cold Warriors receive the benefits they need and deserve. Radiation doesn't stop at county or state lines, and we need to ensure that all affected people get justice."
"I stand with the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium and all those that refuse to let the world forget what happened at the Trinity Site in July 1945. It is past time the U.S. government took full responsibility for the harm it has wrought on our Downwinder and other impacted communities, and this bill marks a major step in the right direction toward the compensation and recognition they deserve," said Rep. Gabe Vasquez (D-New Mexico). "By cutting red tape for claimants, extending the filing period by 15 years, covering additional diseases caused by radiation, and so much more, this bill will make a meaningful difference in the lives of Downwinder communities in New Mexico and beyond, and I am proud to support it."
Moylan emphasized that the fight for justice continues.
"This fight is far from over," said Moylan. "I will continue working with survivors, advocates, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to build support for this legislation until our people receive the recognition, justice, and compensation they deserve. I will not stop until Guam and every other excluded jurisdiction is heard and included."
* * *
Original text here: https://moylan.house.gov/media/press-releases/moylan-renews-fight-for-radiation-justice-brings-together-national-coalition-for-expanded-reca-legislation
Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado CEO Liebert Testifies Before Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Subcommittee
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety released the following written testimony by Jonathan Liebert, CEO of Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, Colorado Springs, from a July 29, 2026, hearing entitled "The Impact of AI on the Workforce":
* * *
Artificial intelligence is already changing how Americans work, learn, make decisions, and compete. The central workforce challenge is no longer whether AI will be adopted; it is whether workers, employers, educators, and communities will be prepared to use it responsibly ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety released the following written testimony by Jonathan Liebert, CEO of Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, Colorado Springs, from a July 29, 2026, hearing entitled "The Impact of AI on the Workforce": * * * Artificial intelligence is already changing how Americans work, learn, make decisions, and compete. The central workforce challenge is no longer whether AI will be adopted; it is whether workers, employers, educators, and communities will be prepared to use it responsiblyand share in its benefits.
"AI is not an Oracle; it is an Ideation Engine"
Since 2025, I have trained over 5,500 people across Colorado and around the country on the practical and responsible use of AI. That work has given me a front-row seat to extraordinary curiosity and real anxiety.
Business owners want to know which tools are credible. Nonprofit leaders want to know how to expand impact without compromising privacy. Educators want to know how to prepare students for jobs that are changing faster than curricula. Workers want to know whether AI will replace them or help them become more capable.
Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado created the BBB AI Hub (visit it here at www.bbbaihub.org) to help close the gap between the speed of technological change and the ability of people and organizations to respond. In collaboration with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, the UCCS College of Business, Exponential Impact, the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, the City of Colorado Springs, the Colorado AI Alliance, the Pikes Peak Business Alliance (PPBEA), and the National Association of Workforce Boards, the Hub connects AI literacy, responsible adoption, governance, and workforce preparation. Our experience suggests that the nation does not need to build an entirely new delivery system. Trusted local infrastructure already exists in workforce centers, community colleges, libraries, BBBs, chambers, and nonprofit networks. It needs practical curriculum, capacity, coordination, and sustained support.
My recommendations are straightforward: invest in rapid AI literacy through trusted local intermediaries; provide practical governance and vendor-evaluation tools for small organizations; improve task-level workforce data; prepare educators and students for AI-enabled work; protect human accountability in consequential employment decisions; and ensure rural communities, small employers, nonprofits, and workers outside technology centers can participate in the opportunity rather than absorb only the disruption.
I. A Cautiously Optimistic View of AI
My position is neither uncritically pro-AI nor reflexively anti-AI. The loudest public voices often occupy the extremes. One side presents AI as an unqualified good that should be adopted as quickly as possible. The other presents it as a force that will inevitably destroy jobs, erode learning, and diminish human value.
Neither perspective is useful to the small-business owner deciding whether to purchase a new platform, the workforce professional helping a displaced worker, the teacher redesigning an assignment, or the nonprofit director with three employees and no technology department.
Cautious optimism means holding two realities at the same time. AI can improve productivity, reduce administrative burden, strengthen customer service, broaden access to expertise, and help small organizations accomplish work that previously required larger teams. I have watched people use AI to organize complex information, improve communication, accelerate research, and turn ideas into usable plans.
I have also watched people enter sensitive customer information into public systems, accept fabricated citations as fact, rely on incomplete or biased outputs, and purchase products marketed as "AI-powered" without understanding what the technology actually did. These are not abstract concerns. They are predictable consequences of adoption moving faster than education and governance.
The question before us is not simply whether AI is good or bad. The better questions are: Who will understand it? Who will have access to useful training? Who will be accountable when it influences a consequential decision? Which communities will receive the productivity gains, and which will bear the disruption? Public policy should help answer those questions before market forces answer them by default.
II. What I Am Seeing in Classrooms and Communities Since 2025, I have trained over 5,500 individuals through classes, workshops, presentations, and community conversations across Colorado and around the country. The audiences have included business owners, employees, educators, nonprofit leaders, workforce professionals, students, and community leaders.
Although their industries and responsibilities differ, the same themes appear repeatedly.
* People are interested in AI, but many do not know where to begin or which information to trust.
* Many organizations are already using AI informally, even when leadership believes adoption has not started.
* Employees frequently receive access to tools before receiving guidance about privacy, verification, intellectual property, bias, or human review.
* Small organizations are overwhelmed by vendor claims and lack the legal, technical, and procurement capacity available to large enterprises.
* Educators recognize that AI will be part of students' futures, but they need support to distinguish responsible learning from shortcut-taking and academic dishonesty.
* Fear often declines when people receive hands-on instruction and a realistic understanding of both capabilities and limitations.
That is the posture I encourage in every room: curiosity about AI produces better questions, better verification, and better decisions than either uncritical enthusiasm or reflexive dismissal.
The most common problem I observe is not that people refuse to use AI. It is that they trust it too quickly or use it without enough context. AI can become a cognitive crutch that replaces thought, or a catalyst that improves thought. The difference is not the tool alone; it is the quality of instruction, the expectations around its use, and the presence of human judgment.
The framing I return to most often in class is this: AI is not an oracle, it is an ideation engine. An oracle is consulted for answers and believed. An ideation engine is used to generate options, surface considerations a person had not thought of, stress-test an assumption, draft a first version, or restate a complex idea in plainer terms. The output is raw material for thinking, not a conclusion to be adopted. When people treat AI as an oracle, they outsource judgment and inherit whatever errors, gaps, or biases the system carried. When they treat it as an ideation engine, they stay in the decision, and the technology makes them faster and more thorough without making them less accountable.
This distinction has practical consequences in the workplace. A manager who asks AI to draft three approaches to a staffing problem, then applies experience and knowledge of the team to choose among them, has used the tool well. A manager who asks AI who to lay off and acts on the answer has not. The same is true of a nurse checking a care protocol, a small-business owner reviewing a contract summary, or a teacher building a lesson plan. In every case the value comes from the human bringing context the system does not have--local knowledge, ethical judgment, and accountability for the outcome.
III. The BBB AI Hub: A Local Model for Workforce Preparation Better Business
Bureau has spent more than a century helping people make informed marketplace decisions and helping businesses build trust. AI is now changing both sides of that mission. It is changing how companies operate, how consumers encounter information, how products are marketed, and how fraud and misinformation can be created and scaled. For BBB of Southern Colorado, AI literacy and AI governance are therefore a natural extension of marketplace trust.
We created the BBB AI Hub to provide practical, accessible, and responsible AI education. The Hub is designed for people who do not need to become engineers but do need to make better decisions about AI. Its work centers on four connected priorities:
* * *
Priority ... What It Means
AI literacy ... Understanding what AI can and cannot do; writing effective instructions; verifying outputs; protecting sensitive information; and recognizing misinformation, bias, and fabricated content.
Workforce preparation ... Helping workers use AI to become more capable, helping employers redesign work thoughtfully, and connecting training to actual roles and advancement opportunities.
AI governance ... Creating clear rules about approved tools, restricted data, human review, accountability, documentation, and employee training.
Marketplace trust ... Helping organizations evaluate AI vendors and claims before making purchasing or implementation decisions.
* * *
Our collaboration with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center is especially important because AI education and workforce services are too often treated as separate activities. They should be connected. Workforce centers understand local employers, job seekers, occupations, and barriers to employment. Community-based organizations understand trust and access. Education providers understand learning. When these capabilities are aligned, AI training can be connected to real jobs, incumbent-worker development, reemployment, and advancement rather than existing as a stand-alone technology demonstration.
This partnership also offers a broader lesson for federal policy: the country already has local institutions capable of reaching workers and small employers. Federal support should strengthen these institutions rather than creating programs that are difficult to access, overly technical, or disconnected from local labor-market needs.
IV. AI Literacy Must Become a Foundational Workforce Skill AI literacy should not be confused with learning one product. Tools will change. Interfaces will change. The durable skill is knowing how to work with AI systems critically and responsibly. At a minimum, workers and employers should understand:
** How to describe a task clearly and provide appropriate context.
* How to evaluate whether AI is suitable for the task at all.
* How to verify factual claims, calculations, citations, and recommendations.
* How to protect customer, employee, student, patient, financial, and proprietary information.
* How bias can enter data, prompts, outputs, and decisions.
* When human review is required and who remains accountable.
* How to document and communicate the use of AI when transparency matters.
AI literacy should be role-based. A teacher, human-resources manager, small-business owner, customerservice employee, and cybersecurity professional do not need the same training. Organizations should identify the tasks people actually perform, the risks attached to those tasks, and the level of review required.
This is more effective than generic training and more realistic for employers with limited time and resources.
AI literacy is also inseparable from critical thinking. The presence of AI does not make critical thinking less important; it makes it more visible. A person must decide whether the question is well framed, whether the output is credible, what information is missing, and whether the result should influence a human decision.
Responsible AI use requires more judgment, not less.
V. AI Governance for Organizations of Every Size Many organizations are waiting for perfect certainty before establishing an AI policy. That is a mistake.
Governance does not require a large compliance department. It begins with practical decisions that any organization can make.
1. Adopt an AI use policy -- Define approved and prohibited uses, identify restricted information, and establish expectations for disclosure and human review.
2. Create a role-based literacy plan -- Train employees according to the decisions they make, the data they handle, and the risks associated with their work.
3. Require accountable human oversight -- AI may support a decision, but a named person should remain responsible when the decision affects employment, safety, education, finances, or access to services.
4. Assess and improve continuously -- Tools, risks, and regulations will change. Organizations should review their practices, incidents, and training on a regular schedule.
The goal of governance is not to prevent experimentation. It is to create a safe environment for experimentation. Clear boundaries give employees confidence about what they may do, protect the organization from avoidable risk, and help leadership learn from use rather than discover it only after a problem occurs.
VI. Vetting AI Businesses and Tools
The rapid growth of AI has created a marketplace challenge. "AI-powered" has no consistent practical meaning for a buyer. Some products use sophisticated models in meaningful ways. Others add a thin AI feature to an existing platform. Still others rely on marketing claims that a small employer cannot independently verify.
Large companies may have procurement teams, legal counsel, cybersecurity experts, data-governance professionals, and the leverage to negotiate contracts. Small employers and nonprofits frequently have none of these. They need plain-language standards and questions that help them evaluate risk before purchasing or connecting a tool to sensitive systems.
Questions every organization should ask an AI vendor
Area ... Questions to Ask
Data practices... What information is collected? Where is it stored? Is customer data used to train the system? Can data be deleted or exported?
Security ... What security controls and independent assessments are in place? How are incidents reported?
Performance ... What does the product actually do, and what evidence supports claims about accuracy, productivity, or cost savings?
Human accountability ... What happens when the system is wrong? Can a human review, override, and explain the result?
Bias and accessibility ... How has the system been evaluated across different users and populations?
Contract terms ... Who owns inputs and outputs? What happens to data when the contract ends? What indemnification or limitations apply?
Vendor credibility ... Who operates the company? Is support available? Are references and claims independently verifiable?
* * *
Trusted marketplace organizations can help translate technical questions into usable guidance. This is not a substitute for regulation, cybersecurity, or legal review. It is a practical layer of consumer and business education that can reduce harm before it occurs.
VII. Preparing Educators and Students for an AI-Enabled Workforce The workforce conversation cannot begin after graduation. Educators are being asked to prepare students for a labor market in which AI will be embedded across occupations, including roles that are not traditionally considered technical. At the same time, schools are navigating legitimate concerns about academic integrity, student privacy, unequal access, and overreliance on automated tools.
The answer is not to pretend AI is absent from the world students will enter. Nor is it to allow unrestricted use without expectations. Schools need age-appropriate AI literacy, clear policies, teacher professional development, and learning experiences that preserve foundational knowledge while teaching students how to use AI as a thought partner rather than a substitute for thought.
The most durable workforce skills will include communication, critical thinking, ethical judgment, creativity, adaptability, domain expertise, and the ability to evaluate AI-generated work. Students should learn how to ask better questions, challenge an output, identify missing context, and explain their own reasoning. These capabilities will help them whether they become nurses, entrepreneurs, technicians, teachers, public servants, or software developers.
VIII. Workforce Disruption, Opportunity, and Fairness Some jobs will be redesigned, and some tasks--particularly routine, entry-level, and administrative tasks-- will be reduced or automated. New roles will emerge, and existing workers may become more productive and capable. But disruption and opportunity are often the same event viewed from different sides.
The honest concern is that new opportunities may not appear in the same communities, at the same wages, or quickly enough for workers whose tasks are displaced. Productivity gains may accrue to organizations without being reflected in job quality, wages, advancement, or reduced workload. Rural communities and smaller employers may face the disruption without having equal access to training, infrastructure, or expertise.
Workers should have a meaningful voice in how AI is introduced into their jobs. Employers should communicate what is changing, what data is being used, how performance will be evaluated, and how employees can challenge an incorrect automated conclusion. Transparency and human accountability are especially important when AI materially affects hiring, promotion, scheduling, performance evaluation, discipline, layoffs, or workplace surveillance.
The message I bring to every class is practical: learn to use these tools strategically, ethically, and responsibly, and they can become leverage. They can help a worker perform the current job more effectively, preserve time for higher-value work, or compete for opportunities that were previously out of reach. That outcome is possible, but it is not automatic. Preparation determines who benefits.
IX. Recommendations to Congress
1. Fund rapid, practical AI upskilling -- Use trusted local intermediaries such as workforce centers, community colleges, libraries, BBBs, chambers, and nonprofit networks to deliver short-cycle, role-based training tied to employment and advancement outcomes.
2. Strengthen AI literacy for educators and students -- Support teacher professional development, age-appropriate curricula, privacy protections, and career-connected learning that prepares students to work responsibly with AI.
3. Equip small organizations with governance tools -- Develop and distribute model AI-use policies, vendor-evaluation guides, cybersecurity practices, and human-oversight frameworks that small businesses and nonprofits can realistically adopt.
4. Improve workforce intelligence -- Create timely, task-level, and geographically detailed data so policymakers and local workforce systems can identify disruption before layoffs and align training with changing employer demand.
5. Preserve transparency and human accountability -- When AI materially affects hiring, evaluation, discipline, layoffs, scheduling, or surveillance, workers should know it is being used and a person should remain accountable for the decision.
6. Ensure broad access to the benefits -- Prioritize rural communities, small employers, underserved populations, and workers outside major technology centers so they receive training and opportunity, not only disruption.
7. Evaluate outcomes, not just adoption -- Measure job quality, wage mobility, worker advancement, productivity, small-business competitiveness, safety, and access--not merely how many organizations purchased an AI tool.
Conclusion
AI itself is not the greatest workforce threat. The greater risk is allowing the technology to advance while workers, businesses, nonprofits, educators, and communities are left without the knowledge, protections, or support required to use it well.
America does not need to choose between innovation and responsibility. We can pursue both. We can help businesses compete while protecting workers. We can prepare students for AI-enabled careers while preserving the importance of human learning. We can encourage experimentation while requiring accountability. We can be optimistic about what AI makes possible and serious about the conditions required for those possibilities to benefit people broadly.
The future of work will not be predetermined by an algorithm. It will be shaped by the choices we make about who is educated, who is protected, who has access, who remains accountable, and who shares in the value that AI helps create.
Chairman Banks, Ranking Member Hickenlooper, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony and for your attention to the workers, employers, educators, and communities navigating this transition.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/6cbbd241-b14f-d7fb-a82f-91145ad11dc1/Liebert%20Testimony_c03b7053-d741-46c3-a80a-442da4ed5114.pdf
* * *
Artificial intelligence is already changing how Americans work, learn, make decisions, and compete. The central workforce challenge is no longer whether AI will be adopted; it is whether workers, employers, educators, and communities will be prepared to use it responsibly ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety released the following written testimony by Jonathan Liebert, CEO of Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado, Colorado Springs, from a July 29, 2026, hearing entitled "The Impact of AI on the Workforce": * * * Artificial intelligence is already changing how Americans work, learn, make decisions, and compete. The central workforce challenge is no longer whether AI will be adopted; it is whether workers, employers, educators, and communities will be prepared to use it responsiblyand share in its benefits.
"AI is not an Oracle; it is an Ideation Engine"
Since 2025, I have trained over 5,500 people across Colorado and around the country on the practical and responsible use of AI. That work has given me a front-row seat to extraordinary curiosity and real anxiety.
Business owners want to know which tools are credible. Nonprofit leaders want to know how to expand impact without compromising privacy. Educators want to know how to prepare students for jobs that are changing faster than curricula. Workers want to know whether AI will replace them or help them become more capable.
Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado created the BBB AI Hub (visit it here at www.bbbaihub.org) to help close the gap between the speed of technological change and the ability of people and organizations to respond. In collaboration with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, the UCCS College of Business, Exponential Impact, the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC, the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center, the City of Colorado Springs, the Colorado AI Alliance, the Pikes Peak Business Alliance (PPBEA), and the National Association of Workforce Boards, the Hub connects AI literacy, responsible adoption, governance, and workforce preparation. Our experience suggests that the nation does not need to build an entirely new delivery system. Trusted local infrastructure already exists in workforce centers, community colleges, libraries, BBBs, chambers, and nonprofit networks. It needs practical curriculum, capacity, coordination, and sustained support.
My recommendations are straightforward: invest in rapid AI literacy through trusted local intermediaries; provide practical governance and vendor-evaluation tools for small organizations; improve task-level workforce data; prepare educators and students for AI-enabled work; protect human accountability in consequential employment decisions; and ensure rural communities, small employers, nonprofits, and workers outside technology centers can participate in the opportunity rather than absorb only the disruption.
I. A Cautiously Optimistic View of AI
My position is neither uncritically pro-AI nor reflexively anti-AI. The loudest public voices often occupy the extremes. One side presents AI as an unqualified good that should be adopted as quickly as possible. The other presents it as a force that will inevitably destroy jobs, erode learning, and diminish human value.
Neither perspective is useful to the small-business owner deciding whether to purchase a new platform, the workforce professional helping a displaced worker, the teacher redesigning an assignment, or the nonprofit director with three employees and no technology department.
Cautious optimism means holding two realities at the same time. AI can improve productivity, reduce administrative burden, strengthen customer service, broaden access to expertise, and help small organizations accomplish work that previously required larger teams. I have watched people use AI to organize complex information, improve communication, accelerate research, and turn ideas into usable plans.
I have also watched people enter sensitive customer information into public systems, accept fabricated citations as fact, rely on incomplete or biased outputs, and purchase products marketed as "AI-powered" without understanding what the technology actually did. These are not abstract concerns. They are predictable consequences of adoption moving faster than education and governance.
The question before us is not simply whether AI is good or bad. The better questions are: Who will understand it? Who will have access to useful training? Who will be accountable when it influences a consequential decision? Which communities will receive the productivity gains, and which will bear the disruption? Public policy should help answer those questions before market forces answer them by default.
II. What I Am Seeing in Classrooms and Communities Since 2025, I have trained over 5,500 individuals through classes, workshops, presentations, and community conversations across Colorado and around the country. The audiences have included business owners, employees, educators, nonprofit leaders, workforce professionals, students, and community leaders.
Although their industries and responsibilities differ, the same themes appear repeatedly.
* People are interested in AI, but many do not know where to begin or which information to trust.
* Many organizations are already using AI informally, even when leadership believes adoption has not started.
* Employees frequently receive access to tools before receiving guidance about privacy, verification, intellectual property, bias, or human review.
* Small organizations are overwhelmed by vendor claims and lack the legal, technical, and procurement capacity available to large enterprises.
* Educators recognize that AI will be part of students' futures, but they need support to distinguish responsible learning from shortcut-taking and academic dishonesty.
* Fear often declines when people receive hands-on instruction and a realistic understanding of both capabilities and limitations.
That is the posture I encourage in every room: curiosity about AI produces better questions, better verification, and better decisions than either uncritical enthusiasm or reflexive dismissal.
The most common problem I observe is not that people refuse to use AI. It is that they trust it too quickly or use it without enough context. AI can become a cognitive crutch that replaces thought, or a catalyst that improves thought. The difference is not the tool alone; it is the quality of instruction, the expectations around its use, and the presence of human judgment.
The framing I return to most often in class is this: AI is not an oracle, it is an ideation engine. An oracle is consulted for answers and believed. An ideation engine is used to generate options, surface considerations a person had not thought of, stress-test an assumption, draft a first version, or restate a complex idea in plainer terms. The output is raw material for thinking, not a conclusion to be adopted. When people treat AI as an oracle, they outsource judgment and inherit whatever errors, gaps, or biases the system carried. When they treat it as an ideation engine, they stay in the decision, and the technology makes them faster and more thorough without making them less accountable.
This distinction has practical consequences in the workplace. A manager who asks AI to draft three approaches to a staffing problem, then applies experience and knowledge of the team to choose among them, has used the tool well. A manager who asks AI who to lay off and acts on the answer has not. The same is true of a nurse checking a care protocol, a small-business owner reviewing a contract summary, or a teacher building a lesson plan. In every case the value comes from the human bringing context the system does not have--local knowledge, ethical judgment, and accountability for the outcome.
III. The BBB AI Hub: A Local Model for Workforce Preparation Better Business
Bureau has spent more than a century helping people make informed marketplace decisions and helping businesses build trust. AI is now changing both sides of that mission. It is changing how companies operate, how consumers encounter information, how products are marketed, and how fraud and misinformation can be created and scaled. For BBB of Southern Colorado, AI literacy and AI governance are therefore a natural extension of marketplace trust.
We created the BBB AI Hub to provide practical, accessible, and responsible AI education. The Hub is designed for people who do not need to become engineers but do need to make better decisions about AI. Its work centers on four connected priorities:
* * *
Priority ... What It Means
AI literacy ... Understanding what AI can and cannot do; writing effective instructions; verifying outputs; protecting sensitive information; and recognizing misinformation, bias, and fabricated content.
Workforce preparation ... Helping workers use AI to become more capable, helping employers redesign work thoughtfully, and connecting training to actual roles and advancement opportunities.
AI governance ... Creating clear rules about approved tools, restricted data, human review, accountability, documentation, and employee training.
Marketplace trust ... Helping organizations evaluate AI vendors and claims before making purchasing or implementation decisions.
* * *
Our collaboration with the Pikes Peak Workforce Center is especially important because AI education and workforce services are too often treated as separate activities. They should be connected. Workforce centers understand local employers, job seekers, occupations, and barriers to employment. Community-based organizations understand trust and access. Education providers understand learning. When these capabilities are aligned, AI training can be connected to real jobs, incumbent-worker development, reemployment, and advancement rather than existing as a stand-alone technology demonstration.
This partnership also offers a broader lesson for federal policy: the country already has local institutions capable of reaching workers and small employers. Federal support should strengthen these institutions rather than creating programs that are difficult to access, overly technical, or disconnected from local labor-market needs.
IV. AI Literacy Must Become a Foundational Workforce Skill AI literacy should not be confused with learning one product. Tools will change. Interfaces will change. The durable skill is knowing how to work with AI systems critically and responsibly. At a minimum, workers and employers should understand:
** How to describe a task clearly and provide appropriate context.
* How to evaluate whether AI is suitable for the task at all.
* How to verify factual claims, calculations, citations, and recommendations.
* How to protect customer, employee, student, patient, financial, and proprietary information.
* How bias can enter data, prompts, outputs, and decisions.
* When human review is required and who remains accountable.
* How to document and communicate the use of AI when transparency matters.
AI literacy should be role-based. A teacher, human-resources manager, small-business owner, customerservice employee, and cybersecurity professional do not need the same training. Organizations should identify the tasks people actually perform, the risks attached to those tasks, and the level of review required.
This is more effective than generic training and more realistic for employers with limited time and resources.
AI literacy is also inseparable from critical thinking. The presence of AI does not make critical thinking less important; it makes it more visible. A person must decide whether the question is well framed, whether the output is credible, what information is missing, and whether the result should influence a human decision.
Responsible AI use requires more judgment, not less.
V. AI Governance for Organizations of Every Size Many organizations are waiting for perfect certainty before establishing an AI policy. That is a mistake.
Governance does not require a large compliance department. It begins with practical decisions that any organization can make.
1. Adopt an AI use policy -- Define approved and prohibited uses, identify restricted information, and establish expectations for disclosure and human review.
2. Create a role-based literacy plan -- Train employees according to the decisions they make, the data they handle, and the risks associated with their work.
3. Require accountable human oversight -- AI may support a decision, but a named person should remain responsible when the decision affects employment, safety, education, finances, or access to services.
4. Assess and improve continuously -- Tools, risks, and regulations will change. Organizations should review their practices, incidents, and training on a regular schedule.
The goal of governance is not to prevent experimentation. It is to create a safe environment for experimentation. Clear boundaries give employees confidence about what they may do, protect the organization from avoidable risk, and help leadership learn from use rather than discover it only after a problem occurs.
VI. Vetting AI Businesses and Tools
The rapid growth of AI has created a marketplace challenge. "AI-powered" has no consistent practical meaning for a buyer. Some products use sophisticated models in meaningful ways. Others add a thin AI feature to an existing platform. Still others rely on marketing claims that a small employer cannot independently verify.
Large companies may have procurement teams, legal counsel, cybersecurity experts, data-governance professionals, and the leverage to negotiate contracts. Small employers and nonprofits frequently have none of these. They need plain-language standards and questions that help them evaluate risk before purchasing or connecting a tool to sensitive systems.
Questions every organization should ask an AI vendor
Area ... Questions to Ask
Data practices... What information is collected? Where is it stored? Is customer data used to train the system? Can data be deleted or exported?
Security ... What security controls and independent assessments are in place? How are incidents reported?
Performance ... What does the product actually do, and what evidence supports claims about accuracy, productivity, or cost savings?
Human accountability ... What happens when the system is wrong? Can a human review, override, and explain the result?
Bias and accessibility ... How has the system been evaluated across different users and populations?
Contract terms ... Who owns inputs and outputs? What happens to data when the contract ends? What indemnification or limitations apply?
Vendor credibility ... Who operates the company? Is support available? Are references and claims independently verifiable?
* * *
Trusted marketplace organizations can help translate technical questions into usable guidance. This is not a substitute for regulation, cybersecurity, or legal review. It is a practical layer of consumer and business education that can reduce harm before it occurs.
VII. Preparing Educators and Students for an AI-Enabled Workforce The workforce conversation cannot begin after graduation. Educators are being asked to prepare students for a labor market in which AI will be embedded across occupations, including roles that are not traditionally considered technical. At the same time, schools are navigating legitimate concerns about academic integrity, student privacy, unequal access, and overreliance on automated tools.
The answer is not to pretend AI is absent from the world students will enter. Nor is it to allow unrestricted use without expectations. Schools need age-appropriate AI literacy, clear policies, teacher professional development, and learning experiences that preserve foundational knowledge while teaching students how to use AI as a thought partner rather than a substitute for thought.
The most durable workforce skills will include communication, critical thinking, ethical judgment, creativity, adaptability, domain expertise, and the ability to evaluate AI-generated work. Students should learn how to ask better questions, challenge an output, identify missing context, and explain their own reasoning. These capabilities will help them whether they become nurses, entrepreneurs, technicians, teachers, public servants, or software developers.
VIII. Workforce Disruption, Opportunity, and Fairness Some jobs will be redesigned, and some tasks--particularly routine, entry-level, and administrative tasks-- will be reduced or automated. New roles will emerge, and existing workers may become more productive and capable. But disruption and opportunity are often the same event viewed from different sides.
The honest concern is that new opportunities may not appear in the same communities, at the same wages, or quickly enough for workers whose tasks are displaced. Productivity gains may accrue to organizations without being reflected in job quality, wages, advancement, or reduced workload. Rural communities and smaller employers may face the disruption without having equal access to training, infrastructure, or expertise.
Workers should have a meaningful voice in how AI is introduced into their jobs. Employers should communicate what is changing, what data is being used, how performance will be evaluated, and how employees can challenge an incorrect automated conclusion. Transparency and human accountability are especially important when AI materially affects hiring, promotion, scheduling, performance evaluation, discipline, layoffs, or workplace surveillance.
The message I bring to every class is practical: learn to use these tools strategically, ethically, and responsibly, and they can become leverage. They can help a worker perform the current job more effectively, preserve time for higher-value work, or compete for opportunities that were previously out of reach. That outcome is possible, but it is not automatic. Preparation determines who benefits.
IX. Recommendations to Congress
1. Fund rapid, practical AI upskilling -- Use trusted local intermediaries such as workforce centers, community colleges, libraries, BBBs, chambers, and nonprofit networks to deliver short-cycle, role-based training tied to employment and advancement outcomes.
2. Strengthen AI literacy for educators and students -- Support teacher professional development, age-appropriate curricula, privacy protections, and career-connected learning that prepares students to work responsibly with AI.
3. Equip small organizations with governance tools -- Develop and distribute model AI-use policies, vendor-evaluation guides, cybersecurity practices, and human-oversight frameworks that small businesses and nonprofits can realistically adopt.
4. Improve workforce intelligence -- Create timely, task-level, and geographically detailed data so policymakers and local workforce systems can identify disruption before layoffs and align training with changing employer demand.
5. Preserve transparency and human accountability -- When AI materially affects hiring, evaluation, discipline, layoffs, scheduling, or surveillance, workers should know it is being used and a person should remain accountable for the decision.
6. Ensure broad access to the benefits -- Prioritize rural communities, small employers, underserved populations, and workers outside major technology centers so they receive training and opportunity, not only disruption.
7. Evaluate outcomes, not just adoption -- Measure job quality, wage mobility, worker advancement, productivity, small-business competitiveness, safety, and access--not merely how many organizations purchased an AI tool.
Conclusion
AI itself is not the greatest workforce threat. The greater risk is allowing the technology to advance while workers, businesses, nonprofits, educators, and communities are left without the knowledge, protections, or support required to use it well.
America does not need to choose between innovation and responsibility. We can pursue both. We can help businesses compete while protecting workers. We can prepare students for AI-enabled careers while preserving the importance of human learning. We can encourage experimentation while requiring accountability. We can be optimistic about what AI makes possible and serious about the conditions required for those possibilities to benefit people broadly.
The future of work will not be predetermined by an algorithm. It will be shaped by the choices we make about who is educated, who is protected, who has access, who remains accountable, and who shares in the value that AI helps create.
Chairman Banks, Ranking Member Hickenlooper, and members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony and for your attention to the workers, employers, educators, and communities navigating this transition.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/6cbbd241-b14f-d7fb-a82f-91145ad11dc1/Liebert%20Testimony_c03b7053-d741-46c3-a80a-442da4ed5114.pdf
Bennet, Schumer, Schrier, 88 Colleagues Demand Rescission of Trump's Dangerous Childhood Vaccine Executive Order
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release:
* * *
Bennet, Schumer, Schrier, 88 Colleagues Demand Rescission of Trump's Dangerous Childhood Vaccine Executive Order
*
Denver -Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) led 88 colleagues in demanding President Donald Trump rescind his executive order that directs federal health agencies to overhaul longstanding childhood vaccine recommendations and encourages states to reconsider school immunization requirements.
Trump's ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * Bennet, Schumer, Schrier, 88 Colleagues Demand Rescission of Trump's Dangerous Childhood Vaccine Executive Order * Denver -Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) led 88 colleagues in demanding President Donald Trump rescind his executive order that directs federal health agencies to overhaul longstanding childhood vaccine recommendations and encourages states to reconsider school immunization requirements. Trump'santi-science executive order creates chaos and confusion just as millions of families across the country are preparing for the school year and are relying on science-based vaccine recommendations to protect their children and communities from preventable diseases.
"At a moment when the United States is experiencing the highest surge in measles cases in thirty-five years and an increasing number of states forced to declare public health emergencies - your administration is placing more children in harm's way rather than protecting them. This Executive Order overrides decades of scientific evidence and sows fear, chaos, and confusion. The result will not be safer or healthier children; it will be a continued decline in vaccination rates, recurring disease outbreaks, higher healthcare costs, and school disruptions that cause learning loss. Vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored for safety, and save millions of lives each year - especially the lives of children," wrote the lawmakers.
Since being confirmed, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unleashed a methodical campaign to substitute decades of science with an anti-vaccine ideology.
Specifically, Trump's latest directive pushes to break up combination vaccines into single-disease doses, ignoring the medical community's long-standing, evidence-backed agreement that combination vaccines are safe, effective, and specifically timed to protect children when they need it most. The executive order forces families to schedule multiple doctors' appointments with multiple co-pays, which adds unnecessary chaos, confusion, and financial strain. Compounding this issue is the deep Medicaid cuts under Trump's One Big, Beautiful Big Act that have drastically cut access to care and increased cost burdens for low-income families.
Notably, single-disease shots for routine childhood vaccines, like measles, mumps, and rubella, simply do not exist in the U.S. market. Demanding parents and pediatricians switch to non-existent vaccines creates mass confusion, stalls routine care right as children head back to school, and forces drug manufacturers into a years-long regulatory pipeline.
Additionally, this executive order directs the Department of Justice to push back on longstanding state school immunization requirements, ignoring 81 percent of parents who agree that public schools should require essential immunizations like measles and polio vaccines.
"The health and safety of America's children must not be sacrificed for political theater and ideology. American children and their families deserve robust evidence-based immunization recommendations that are rooted in science. The administration's politicization of vaccines makes American families less safe, threatens to return the U.S. to an era before routine vaccination prevented millions of infections, and is already resulting in unnecessary suffering and preventable deaths, particularly among children," continued the lawmakers.
"Every day this Executive Order remains in effect, more children go without the vaccines that would protect them, additional outbreaks become more likely, and lives are put at risk. We urge you to rescind this Executive Order immediately and restore evidence-based decision-making to federal public health policy," concluded the lawmakers.
Bennet has constantly fought against Trump and Kennedy's anti-science agenda. Bennet issued a statement immediately following the announcement of Trump's executive order directing federal health agencies to overhaul longstanding childhood vaccine recommendations and encouraging states to reconsider school immunization requirements. In April 2026, Bennet questioned Kennedy during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his skepticism of childhood vaccines amidst the largest measles outbreak in the U.S. in over thirty years. Additionally, in March 2025 and 2026, Bennet joined in sending a letter to Kennedy to demand the department reverse changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration websites that promote false and dangerous information about autism. In September 2025, he questioned Kennedy during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his actions undermining vaccine safety and access for American families. Bennet also joined members of the Senate Finance Committee in issuing a statement calling on Kennedy to resign due to the danger he poses to America's health, his lies to Congress, and his spread of disinformation.
In addition to Bennet, Schumer, and Schrier, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-Del.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), as well as Representatives Gabe Amo (D-R.I), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Nikki Budzinski (D-IlI.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Robin Kelly (D-IlI.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IlI.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), John Mannion (D-N.Y.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Brittney Pettersen (D-Colo.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Mike Quigley (D-IlI.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Jan Schakowsky (D-IlI.), Brad Schneider (D-IlI.), Eric Sorensen (D-IlI.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D- Nev.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Richie Torres (D-N.Y.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) signed this letter.
The text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear President Trump:
Every August, millions of American families participate in the familiar late-summer ritual of gathering school supplies, scheduling annual wellness checkups, and preparing their children to step back into the classroom. For decades, parents have trusted these routine doctor visits to protect their children against preventable, life-threatening diseases. Your August 10, 2026, Executive Order, "Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans" shatters that consensus. We write to insist that you rescind it immediately.
At a moment when the United States is experiencing the highest surge in measles cases in thirty-five years and an increasing number of states forced to declare public health emergencies - your administration is placing more children in harm's way rather than protecting them. This Executive Order overrides decades of scientific evidence and sows fear, chaos, and confusion. The result will not be safer or healthier children; it will be a continued decline in vaccination rates, recurring disease outbreaks, higher healthcare costs, and school disruptions that cause learning loss. Vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored for safety, and save millions of lives each year - especially the lives of children.
Unfortunately, this directive is only the latest step in a systematic campaign by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to substitute anti-vaccine ideology for decades of scientific evidence. Since being confirmed, Secretary Kennedy has:
1. Fired all seventeen independent members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and replaced them with unvetted ideologues who have a history of undermining vaccines.
2. Peddled unproven treatments as alternatives to safe, effective vaccines, like cod liver oil for measles, putting young children in the hospital with liver damage.
3. Pressured leadership of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to approve unscientific recommendations while removing vital public health information and publishing false or misleading claims on agency websites, such as the CDC's autism and vaccines page.
4. Canceled critical mRNA research and endorsed false claims that mRNA vaccines cause widespread harm and repeatedly spread disproven theories linking vaccines to autism, despite dozens of studies proving otherwise.
5. Attempted to alter the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in a manner that threatened to drive vaccine manufacturers out of the market entirely.
This latest directive encouraging the breakup of combination vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot, into single-disease doses over multiple doctor's visits defies medical evidence and places additional burdens on families. Leading medical professionals agree that combination vaccines are safe, effective, and specifically timed to protect children when they require that immunity. Moreover, separate single-dose options for MMR are not even currently available in the United States, meaning drug manufacturers would be forced to navigate a complex, years-long approval process. This order leaves parents with inconsistent, muddled advice, further stoking unfounded fears about vaccine safety, despite the overwhelming evidence of the benefits of universal immunization for the MMR vaccine. That is not "gold standard" medicine. It is manufactured chaos.
Forcing parents to schedule and pay co-pays for multiple medical visits for immunizations that were previously administered at a single appointment creates financial and logistical hardship, and is cruel to children. These burdens are compounded by the severe cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act enacted under the One Big, Beautiful Big Act, which are leaving working families without access to a primary care physician. Moreover, it increases burden for pediatricians who already face packed schedules.
Finally, directing the Department of Justice to challenge long-standing state school immunization requirements perpetuates dangerous uncertainty in local communities and directly threatens public health. Overturning established, evidence-based vaccine policies creates a chaotic patchwork of rules that leaves parents, school districts, and health officials without clear guidance, while ignoring the vast majority of parents (81%) who agree that public schools should require students to receive essential immunizations like the measles and polio vaccines.
The health and safety of America's children must not be sacrificed for political theater and ideology. American children and their families deserve robust evidence-based immunization recommendations that are rooted in science. The administration's politicization of vaccines makes American families less safe, threatens to return the U.S. to an era before routine vaccination prevented millions of infections, and is already resulting in unnecessary suffering and preventable deaths, particularly among children.
Every day this Executive Order remains in effect, more children go without the vaccines that would protect them, additional outbreaks become more likely, and lives are put at risk. We urge you to rescind this Executive Order immediately and restore evidence-based decision-making to federal public health policy.
***
Original text here: https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/18/bennet-schumer-schrier-88-colleagues-demand-rescission-of-trumps-dangerous-childhood-vaccine-executive-order/
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Bennet, Schumer, Schrier, 88 Colleagues Demand Rescission of Trump's Dangerous Childhood Vaccine Executive Order
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Denver -Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) led 88 colleagues in demanding President Donald Trump rescind his executive order that directs federal health agencies to overhaul longstanding childhood vaccine recommendations and encourages states to reconsider school immunization requirements.
Trump's ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release: * * * Bennet, Schumer, Schrier, 88 Colleagues Demand Rescission of Trump's Dangerous Childhood Vaccine Executive Order * Denver -Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and U.S. Representative Kim Schrier (D-Wash.) led 88 colleagues in demanding President Donald Trump rescind his executive order that directs federal health agencies to overhaul longstanding childhood vaccine recommendations and encourages states to reconsider school immunization requirements. Trump'santi-science executive order creates chaos and confusion just as millions of families across the country are preparing for the school year and are relying on science-based vaccine recommendations to protect their children and communities from preventable diseases.
"At a moment when the United States is experiencing the highest surge in measles cases in thirty-five years and an increasing number of states forced to declare public health emergencies - your administration is placing more children in harm's way rather than protecting them. This Executive Order overrides decades of scientific evidence and sows fear, chaos, and confusion. The result will not be safer or healthier children; it will be a continued decline in vaccination rates, recurring disease outbreaks, higher healthcare costs, and school disruptions that cause learning loss. Vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored for safety, and save millions of lives each year - especially the lives of children," wrote the lawmakers.
Since being confirmed, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unleashed a methodical campaign to substitute decades of science with an anti-vaccine ideology.
Specifically, Trump's latest directive pushes to break up combination vaccines into single-disease doses, ignoring the medical community's long-standing, evidence-backed agreement that combination vaccines are safe, effective, and specifically timed to protect children when they need it most. The executive order forces families to schedule multiple doctors' appointments with multiple co-pays, which adds unnecessary chaos, confusion, and financial strain. Compounding this issue is the deep Medicaid cuts under Trump's One Big, Beautiful Big Act that have drastically cut access to care and increased cost burdens for low-income families.
Notably, single-disease shots for routine childhood vaccines, like measles, mumps, and rubella, simply do not exist in the U.S. market. Demanding parents and pediatricians switch to non-existent vaccines creates mass confusion, stalls routine care right as children head back to school, and forces drug manufacturers into a years-long regulatory pipeline.
Additionally, this executive order directs the Department of Justice to push back on longstanding state school immunization requirements, ignoring 81 percent of parents who agree that public schools should require essential immunizations like measles and polio vaccines.
"The health and safety of America's children must not be sacrificed for political theater and ideology. American children and their families deserve robust evidence-based immunization recommendations that are rooted in science. The administration's politicization of vaccines makes American families less safe, threatens to return the U.S. to an era before routine vaccination prevented millions of infections, and is already resulting in unnecessary suffering and preventable deaths, particularly among children," continued the lawmakers.
"Every day this Executive Order remains in effect, more children go without the vaccines that would protect them, additional outbreaks become more likely, and lives are put at risk. We urge you to rescind this Executive Order immediately and restore evidence-based decision-making to federal public health policy," concluded the lawmakers.
Bennet has constantly fought against Trump and Kennedy's anti-science agenda. Bennet issued a statement immediately following the announcement of Trump's executive order directing federal health agencies to overhaul longstanding childhood vaccine recommendations and encouraging states to reconsider school immunization requirements. In April 2026, Bennet questioned Kennedy during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his skepticism of childhood vaccines amidst the largest measles outbreak in the U.S. in over thirty years. Additionally, in March 2025 and 2026, Bennet joined in sending a letter to Kennedy to demand the department reverse changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration websites that promote false and dangerous information about autism. In September 2025, he questioned Kennedy during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his actions undermining vaccine safety and access for American families. Bennet also joined members of the Senate Finance Committee in issuing a statement calling on Kennedy to resign due to the danger he poses to America's health, his lies to Congress, and his spread of disinformation.
In addition to Bennet, Schumer, and Schrier, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jack Reed (D-Del.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.), as well as Representatives Gabe Amo (D-R.I), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Nanette Barragan (D-Calif.), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Nikki Budzinski (D-IlI.), Troy Carter (D-La.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.), Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Bill Keating (D-Mass.), Robin Kelly (D-IlI.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IlI.), Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), Mike Levin (D-Calif.), Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), John Mannion (D-N.Y.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), Lucy McBath (D-Ga.), Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Jennifer McClellan (D-Va.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Rob Menendez (D-N.J.), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), Kelly Morrison (D-Minn.), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Brittney Pettersen (D-Colo.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Mike Quigley (D-IlI.), Emily Randall (D-Wash.), Jan Schakowsky (D-IlI.), Brad Schneider (D-IlI.), Eric Sorensen (D-IlI.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Dina Titus (D- Nev.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), Richie Torres (D-N.Y.), Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.), and Nikema Williams (D-Ga.) signed this letter.
The text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear President Trump:
Every August, millions of American families participate in the familiar late-summer ritual of gathering school supplies, scheduling annual wellness checkups, and preparing their children to step back into the classroom. For decades, parents have trusted these routine doctor visits to protect their children against preventable, life-threatening diseases. Your August 10, 2026, Executive Order, "Delivering Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine Recommendations for Americans" shatters that consensus. We write to insist that you rescind it immediately.
At a moment when the United States is experiencing the highest surge in measles cases in thirty-five years and an increasing number of states forced to declare public health emergencies - your administration is placing more children in harm's way rather than protecting them. This Executive Order overrides decades of scientific evidence and sows fear, chaos, and confusion. The result will not be safer or healthier children; it will be a continued decline in vaccination rates, recurring disease outbreaks, higher healthcare costs, and school disruptions that cause learning loss. Vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored for safety, and save millions of lives each year - especially the lives of children.
Unfortunately, this directive is only the latest step in a systematic campaign by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to substitute anti-vaccine ideology for decades of scientific evidence. Since being confirmed, Secretary Kennedy has:
1. Fired all seventeen independent members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and replaced them with unvetted ideologues who have a history of undermining vaccines.
2. Peddled unproven treatments as alternatives to safe, effective vaccines, like cod liver oil for measles, putting young children in the hospital with liver damage.
3. Pressured leadership of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to approve unscientific recommendations while removing vital public health information and publishing false or misleading claims on agency websites, such as the CDC's autism and vaccines page.
4. Canceled critical mRNA research and endorsed false claims that mRNA vaccines cause widespread harm and repeatedly spread disproven theories linking vaccines to autism, despite dozens of studies proving otherwise.
5. Attempted to alter the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in a manner that threatened to drive vaccine manufacturers out of the market entirely.
This latest directive encouraging the breakup of combination vaccines, such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) shot, into single-disease doses over multiple doctor's visits defies medical evidence and places additional burdens on families. Leading medical professionals agree that combination vaccines are safe, effective, and specifically timed to protect children when they require that immunity. Moreover, separate single-dose options for MMR are not even currently available in the United States, meaning drug manufacturers would be forced to navigate a complex, years-long approval process. This order leaves parents with inconsistent, muddled advice, further stoking unfounded fears about vaccine safety, despite the overwhelming evidence of the benefits of universal immunization for the MMR vaccine. That is not "gold standard" medicine. It is manufactured chaos.
Forcing parents to schedule and pay co-pays for multiple medical visits for immunizations that were previously administered at a single appointment creates financial and logistical hardship, and is cruel to children. These burdens are compounded by the severe cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act enacted under the One Big, Beautiful Big Act, which are leaving working families without access to a primary care physician. Moreover, it increases burden for pediatricians who already face packed schedules.
Finally, directing the Department of Justice to challenge long-standing state school immunization requirements perpetuates dangerous uncertainty in local communities and directly threatens public health. Overturning established, evidence-based vaccine policies creates a chaotic patchwork of rules that leaves parents, school districts, and health officials without clear guidance, while ignoring the vast majority of parents (81%) who agree that public schools should require students to receive essential immunizations like the measles and polio vaccines.
The health and safety of America's children must not be sacrificed for political theater and ideology. American children and their families deserve robust evidence-based immunization recommendations that are rooted in science. The administration's politicization of vaccines makes American families less safe, threatens to return the U.S. to an era before routine vaccination prevented millions of infections, and is already resulting in unnecessary suffering and preventable deaths, particularly among children.
Every day this Executive Order remains in effect, more children go without the vaccines that would protect them, additional outbreaks become more likely, and lives are put at risk. We urge you to rescind this Executive Order immediately and restore evidence-based decision-making to federal public health policy.
***
Original text here: https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2026/08/18/bennet-schumer-schrier-88-colleagues-demand-rescission-of-trumps-dangerous-childhood-vaccine-executive-order/
Biggs, Wyden, Davidson, and Jayapal Call for GAO Investigation into Warrantless Federal Surveillance of Americans' Bank Records
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, issued the following news release:
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Biggs, Wyden, Davidson, and Jayapal Call for GAO Investigation into Warrantless Federal Surveillance of Americans' Bank Records
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Members call out secret "hotwatch" real-time tracking, abuse of All Writs Act, and dragnet financial searches targeting innocent Americans
GILBERT, ARIZONA- Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05), U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) launch a new investigation into federal ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Biggs, Wyden, Davidson, and Jayapal Call for GAO Investigation into Warrantless Federal Surveillance of Americans' Bank Records * Members call out secret "hotwatch" real-time tracking, abuse of All Writs Act, and dragnet financial searches targeting innocent Americans GILBERT, ARIZONA- Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05), U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) launch a new investigation into federallaw enforcement's widespread surveillance of Americans' personal bank accounts and financial records.
In a letter to Acting Comptroller General Orice W. Brown, the bipartisan members of Congress highlighted severe gaps in judicial oversight, transparency, and statutory notice requirements. The lawmakers warned that without meaningful safeguards, federal agencies-including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)-are improperly exploiting legal gaps to spy on law-abiding citizens.
"Americans' financial records can reveal deeply sensitive information including their religion; the political causes and non-profit organizations they support, including through membership; the doctors' offices and clinics where they are treated; where they travel and with whom; and countless other private personal details," the members wrote. "Despite the sensitivity of this data, Americans' financial records receive few protections against government surveillance and existing legal authorities have at times been abused or stretched beyond their intended purpose."
The lawmakers asked the GAO to evaluate four primary surveillance practices currently deployed by federal agencies:
* Failure to Notify Americans of Seized Records: Despite the Right to Financial Privacy Act requiring the government to notify individuals when their bank records are turned over to the government, the DOJ disclosed in November 2024 [LINK to letter] that it does not track compliance with these notice rules. The lawmakers are asking GAO to quantify how many Americans are left unaware that their records were turned over.
* Abuse of FBI National Security Letters (NSLs): The FBI routinely uses NSLs to obtain historical financial data without prior judicial approval. The bipartisan members asked GAO to audit whether the FBI is complying with 2016 reform guidelines that require individualized justifications and strict expiration rules for non-disclosure directives.
* Warrantless Real-Time "Hotwatch" Tracking: Agencies are forcing financial institutions to report new customer transactions in real time using the All Writs Act-a broad and ambiguous 1789 law -rather than seeking explicit statutory authority from Congress. Lawmakers requested an audit into the scale, frequency, and legal justifications behind these court-ordered "hotwatches."
* FinCEN & FBI Dragnet Financial Searches: Agencies have allegedly directed banks to run broad, informal searches across customer databases via Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Bank Secrecy Act mechanisms. These directives sweep up innocent Americans, circumvent PATRIOT Act safeguards, and permanently gag banks from telling customers their records were turned over.
The lawmakers requested that the GAO compile its findings into a formal report, complete with recommendations for legislative and executive reforms to restore judicial oversight and protect constitutional rights.
A copy of the full letter sent to the GAO is available here.
***
Original text here: https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/biggs-wyden-davidson-and-jayapal-call-gao-investigation-warrantless-federal
* * *
Biggs, Wyden, Davidson, and Jayapal Call for GAO Investigation into Warrantless Federal Surveillance of Americans' Bank Records
*
Members call out secret "hotwatch" real-time tracking, abuse of All Writs Act, and dragnet financial searches targeting innocent Americans
GILBERT, ARIZONA- Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05), U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) launch a new investigation into federal ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Arizona, issued the following news release: * * * Biggs, Wyden, Davidson, and Jayapal Call for GAO Investigation into Warrantless Federal Surveillance of Americans' Bank Records * Members call out secret "hotwatch" real-time tracking, abuse of All Writs Act, and dragnet financial searches targeting innocent Americans GILBERT, ARIZONA- Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05), U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) launch a new investigation into federallaw enforcement's widespread surveillance of Americans' personal bank accounts and financial records.
In a letter to Acting Comptroller General Orice W. Brown, the bipartisan members of Congress highlighted severe gaps in judicial oversight, transparency, and statutory notice requirements. The lawmakers warned that without meaningful safeguards, federal agencies-including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)-are improperly exploiting legal gaps to spy on law-abiding citizens.
"Americans' financial records can reveal deeply sensitive information including their religion; the political causes and non-profit organizations they support, including through membership; the doctors' offices and clinics where they are treated; where they travel and with whom; and countless other private personal details," the members wrote. "Despite the sensitivity of this data, Americans' financial records receive few protections against government surveillance and existing legal authorities have at times been abused or stretched beyond their intended purpose."
The lawmakers asked the GAO to evaluate four primary surveillance practices currently deployed by federal agencies:
* Failure to Notify Americans of Seized Records: Despite the Right to Financial Privacy Act requiring the government to notify individuals when their bank records are turned over to the government, the DOJ disclosed in November 2024 [LINK to letter] that it does not track compliance with these notice rules. The lawmakers are asking GAO to quantify how many Americans are left unaware that their records were turned over.
* Abuse of FBI National Security Letters (NSLs): The FBI routinely uses NSLs to obtain historical financial data without prior judicial approval. The bipartisan members asked GAO to audit whether the FBI is complying with 2016 reform guidelines that require individualized justifications and strict expiration rules for non-disclosure directives.
* Warrantless Real-Time "Hotwatch" Tracking: Agencies are forcing financial institutions to report new customer transactions in real time using the All Writs Act-a broad and ambiguous 1789 law -rather than seeking explicit statutory authority from Congress. Lawmakers requested an audit into the scale, frequency, and legal justifications behind these court-ordered "hotwatches."
* FinCEN & FBI Dragnet Financial Searches: Agencies have allegedly directed banks to run broad, informal searches across customer databases via Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Bank Secrecy Act mechanisms. These directives sweep up innocent Americans, circumvent PATRIOT Act safeguards, and permanently gag banks from telling customers their records were turned over.
The lawmakers requested that the GAO compile its findings into a formal report, complete with recommendations for legislative and executive reforms to restore judicial oversight and protect constitutional rights.
A copy of the full letter sent to the GAO is available here.
***
Original text here: https://biggs.house.gov/media/press-releases/biggs-wyden-davidson-and-jayapal-call-gao-investigation-warrantless-federal
Barrett Hosts Fifth Interactive Town Hall With 14,700 Participants Across Mid-Michigan
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Barrett Hosts Fifth Interactive Town Hall With 14,700 Participants Across Mid-Michigan
*
Washington, D.C. -Tonight, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) hosted a successful interactive town hall with more than 14,700 constituents from across Michigan's 7th Congressional District. This is Barrett's fifth interactive town hall since taking office, which has allowed him to connect with more than 34,000 constituents no matter where they are.
"My job is to be mid-Michigan's representative in Washington -not ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Michigan, issued the following news release: * * * Barrett Hosts Fifth Interactive Town Hall With 14,700 Participants Across Mid-Michigan * Washington, D.C. -Tonight, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) hosted a successful interactive town hall with more than 14,700 constituents from across Michigan's 7th Congressional District. This is Barrett's fifth interactive town hall since taking office, which has allowed him to connect with more than 34,000 constituents no matter where they are. "My job is to be mid-Michigan's representative in Washington -notWashington's representative in mid-Michigan," said Barrett. "The best way I can do that is by hearing directly from the people I serve, and I've spent the summer on the road meeting with thousands of hardworking people to talk about real issues and hear their stories to help me do the real work back in Washington to improve their lives. I will keep fighting on behalf of every mid-Michigander to make our community safer, more prosperous, and a better place to raise a family."
During tonight's hour-long event, Barrett provided an update on his recent work in the House of Representatives, including his votes and legislation to limit the military conflict in Iran. He also spoke about his recent travels throughout the district to hear directly from families, business owners, farmers, workers, and more about the issues that matter to them.
The congressman also took questions on a wide range of issues, including his stance on the USS Abraham Lincoln, data centers, North Korea, Medicaid, and more.
BACKGROUND:
In the last 4 weeks, Barrett has traveled throughout Michigan's 7th District to meet with constituents from all walks of life. He has visited dozens of locations across mid-Michigan, including local businesses, hospitals, colleges, factories, farms, and more.
The congressman has also responded to more than 148,000 phone calls, emails, and letters from constituents since taking office, on top of the many people from mid-Michigan he meets with each and every week. Barrett remains committed to hearing directly from his constituents, even those who disagree.
***
Original text here: https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-hosts-fifth-interactive-town-hall-14700-participants-across-mid
* * *
Barrett Hosts Fifth Interactive Town Hall With 14,700 Participants Across Mid-Michigan
*
Washington, D.C. -Tonight, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) hosted a successful interactive town hall with more than 14,700 constituents from across Michigan's 7th Congressional District. This is Barrett's fifth interactive town hall since taking office, which has allowed him to connect with more than 34,000 constituents no matter where they are.
"My job is to be mid-Michigan's representative in Washington -not ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Michigan, issued the following news release: * * * Barrett Hosts Fifth Interactive Town Hall With 14,700 Participants Across Mid-Michigan * Washington, D.C. -Tonight, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) hosted a successful interactive town hall with more than 14,700 constituents from across Michigan's 7th Congressional District. This is Barrett's fifth interactive town hall since taking office, which has allowed him to connect with more than 34,000 constituents no matter where they are. "My job is to be mid-Michigan's representative in Washington -notWashington's representative in mid-Michigan," said Barrett. "The best way I can do that is by hearing directly from the people I serve, and I've spent the summer on the road meeting with thousands of hardworking people to talk about real issues and hear their stories to help me do the real work back in Washington to improve their lives. I will keep fighting on behalf of every mid-Michigander to make our community safer, more prosperous, and a better place to raise a family."
During tonight's hour-long event, Barrett provided an update on his recent work in the House of Representatives, including his votes and legislation to limit the military conflict in Iran. He also spoke about his recent travels throughout the district to hear directly from families, business owners, farmers, workers, and more about the issues that matter to them.
The congressman also took questions on a wide range of issues, including his stance on the USS Abraham Lincoln, data centers, North Korea, Medicaid, and more.
BACKGROUND:
In the last 4 weeks, Barrett has traveled throughout Michigan's 7th District to meet with constituents from all walks of life. He has visited dozens of locations across mid-Michigan, including local businesses, hospitals, colleges, factories, farms, and more.
The congressman has also responded to more than 148,000 phone calls, emails, and letters from constituents since taking office, on top of the many people from mid-Michigan he meets with each and every week. Barrett remains committed to hearing directly from his constituents, even those who disagree.
***
Original text here: https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-hosts-fifth-interactive-town-hall-14700-participants-across-mid
As Visa Delays Threaten Fall Arrival for International Students, Reed & Whitehouse Demand Answers & Action from U.S. State Department
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release:
* * *
As Visa Delays Threaten Fall Arrival for International Students, Reed & Whitehouse Demand Answers & Action from U.S. State Department
*
Providence, RI - With college students heading back to campus in the coming weeks for the start of a new academic year, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are pressing the Trump Administration to process international student and scholar visas without unjust delay.
Whitehouse and Reed are teaming up with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * As Visa Delays Threaten Fall Arrival for International Students, Reed & Whitehouse Demand Answers & Action from U.S. State Department * Providence, RI - With college students heading back to campus in the coming weeks for the start of a new academic year, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are pressing the Trump Administration to process international student and scholar visas without unjust delay. Whitehouse and Reed are teaming up with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla(D-CA) and 27 colleagues in demanding answers from the U.S. State Department about why international student visa appointments have dried up at some embassies -a bottleneck that seems to mostly impact students from Latin American countries. The lawmakers want to know why there are delays in processing F, M and J visas for academic studies, vocational courses and exchange programs, respectively.
Noting that international students pumped about $43 billion into local economies across the U.S. during the 2024-2025 academic year, Padilla, Reed, Whitehouse and their colleagues are demanding answers about delays processing these applications at U.S. embassies and consulates and are seeking to fix the problem in time for students to make travel arrangements and be in college classrooms when the semester begins.
"We urge the State Department to ensure timely processing of F, M, and J student and exchange visitor nonimmigrant visas, consistent with the approach taken by administrations of both parties in the past, and to implement other measures to avoid diminishing U.S. competitiveness," the 30 U.S. Senators wrote. "Specifically, we are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates. This only exacerbates uncertainty about whether students' visas will be processed in time for them to travel to the United States to begin their studies."
The lawmakers highlighted the contributions international students make to universities and communities nationwide, including expanding opportunities for American students, generating economic activity, strengthening the U.S. workforce, and building international partnerships.
"International students are critical to the success of our universities, including contributing nearly $43 billion annually to local communities and supporting more than 355,000 American jobs during the 2024-2025 academic year. Even though international students make up only six percent of the total higher education population, their enrollment creates opportunities for American students," the senators continued. "International students also improve our national security by fostering global relationships, cross cultural understanding, and long-lasting diplomatic ties. These benefits are at risk if visa processing delays persist."
The senators urged the State Department to ensure the timely review and processing of student and exchange visitor visas, extend interview waivers for vetted returning student applicants, provide sufficient staffing for visa processing, and improve transparency and engagement with stakeholders. The senators also requested an explanation within 30 days about the causes of the delays and the measures being implemented to ensure student and exchange visitor visa applications are processed in a timely manner moving forward.
Over 5,000 international students attend colleges and universities across the Ocean State, according to SEVIS higher education tracking data from 2025. These students contribute over $270 million to Rhode Island's economy, according to SEVIS. Higher ed schools with large groups of international students enrolled include Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), the University of Rhode Island (URI), Johnson & Wales, and Providence College.
According to Ocean State Media's article, "Fewer visas, fewer students: URI sees international enrollment slide": "The University of Rhode Island saw a significant decrease in the number of international students enrolled this academic year, as heightened immigration enforcement by the Trump Administration makes it more difficult for many international students to attend school in the U.S.
"URI saw a 16% decrease in international student enrollment from the 2024-25 academic year to the 2025-26 academic year, according to data provided by the school. In the current academic year, 404 international students are enrolled - down from 480 the year prior.
"The decrease at URI follows a broader national trend that has hit many schools harder. The U.S. government issued 36% fewer visas of the kind most commonly used by international students just before the fall 2025 semester, according to a New York Times analysis of State Department data."
In addition to Padilla, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth, D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Full text of the letter follows:
Dear Secretary Rubio,
We write to express our concerns regarding the ongoing unavailability of visa appointments during the peak visa application season for students and scholars seeking to enter the U.S. in time for the start of classes and the academic year. We urge the State Department to ensure timely processing of F, M, and J student and exchange visitor nonimmigrant visas, consistent with the approach taken by administrations of both parties in the past, and to implement other measures to avoid diminishing U.S. competitiveness. Specifically, we are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates. This only exacerbates uncertainty about whether students' visas will be processed in time for them to travel to the United States to begin their studies.
These challenges come at a time when major academic institutions need skilled, international talent to begin their semesters. Without a fix, the repercussions will be felt across the academic and skilled-technical talent pipeline.
International students are critical to the success of our universities, including contributing nearly $43 billion annually to local communities and supporting more than 355,000 American jobs during the 2024-2025 academic year. Even though international students make up only six percent of the total higher education population, their enrollment creates opportunities for American students. For every additional international undergraduate enrolled at a U.S. public university, two additional in-state freshman students can enroll. Most international students pay out-of state tuition, injecting vital revenue into our colleges and universities and helping keep costs down for domestic students. International students also improve our national security by fostering global relationships, cross cultural understanding, and long-lasting diplomatic ties. These benefits are at risk if visa processing delays persist.
The case-by-case nature of availability for access to expedited appointments or National Interest Exception requests is neither efficient nor sustainable. Instead of diverting already limited personnel resources, the State Department should ensure that its consular sections restore priority to interview, adjudicate, and process student visas in time for the upcoming school year.
In addition to the above, we urge the State Department to extend interview waivers for vetted returning student applicants; ensure adequate staffing for timely visa vetting and processing; and meaningfully engage with stakeholders to promote greater transparency.
International students bolster the American workforce, drive innovation, and better position our country to maintain its competitive edge. Therefore, we request a written response answering these questions within 30 days:
1. What resources has the Department devoted to processing the backlogs and streamlining processing of F, J, and M visas?
2. Have consular process priorities changed since the spring and summer of 2025? What visa interview categories are currently prioritized by the Bureau of Consular Affairs and where do student visas fall within that list? Provide the list of visa interview prioritization.
3. What guidance has been sent to embassies and consulates regarding prioritization or deprioritization of student and exchange visitor visa processing? Provide a copy of all guidance regarding the prioritizing or deprioritizing of student and exchange visitor visas since August 2025 until the present day.
4. How are interview slots being allocated at embassies and consulates and where do student and exchange visitor visa appointments fit within that allocation?
5. How often are consular post websites and the main State Department website updated for relevant and current information regarding current U.S. consulate operations including visa appointment availability and approximate processing times?
6. When will you resume publicly posting monthly, accurate visa issuance data by category?
7. Will the Department commit to implementing regular, ongoing outreach and collaboration with stakeholders and relevant agencies about the student and exchange visitor visa process and ensure the timely processing of F, J, and M visas?
8. How do you ensure that embassies and consulates are accurately and timely informed of any regulatory or policy changes regarding student and exchange visitor visas?
9. What are the average processing times for F, M, and J visas at the top five locations processing these visas from September 2025 to date, disaggregated by month?
10. Last year, the Department of State announced new vetting, including online presence vetting, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classification.
1. What resources has the Department of State devoted to these new vetting procedures?
2. In developing these new vetting procedures, what steps has your Department taken to ensure our national security interests of welcoming bona fide international students in our communities can still be achieved through timely processing of F, J, and M visas.
3. How many applications have been refused pursuant to the new enhanced vetting procedures? Please disaggregate these numbers by the basis for refusal.
Sincerely,
***
Original text here: https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/as-visa-delays-threaten-fall-arrival-for-international-students-reed-whitehouse-demand-answers-action-from-u-s-state-department/
* * *
As Visa Delays Threaten Fall Arrival for International Students, Reed & Whitehouse Demand Answers & Action from U.S. State Department
*
Providence, RI - With college students heading back to campus in the coming weeks for the start of a new academic year, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are pressing the Trump Administration to process international student and scholar visas without unjust delay.
Whitehouse and Reed are teaming up with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release: * * * As Visa Delays Threaten Fall Arrival for International Students, Reed & Whitehouse Demand Answers & Action from U.S. State Department * Providence, RI - With college students heading back to campus in the coming weeks for the start of a new academic year, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) are pressing the Trump Administration to process international student and scholar visas without unjust delay. Whitehouse and Reed are teaming up with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla(D-CA) and 27 colleagues in demanding answers from the U.S. State Department about why international student visa appointments have dried up at some embassies -a bottleneck that seems to mostly impact students from Latin American countries. The lawmakers want to know why there are delays in processing F, M and J visas for academic studies, vocational courses and exchange programs, respectively.
Noting that international students pumped about $43 billion into local economies across the U.S. during the 2024-2025 academic year, Padilla, Reed, Whitehouse and their colleagues are demanding answers about delays processing these applications at U.S. embassies and consulates and are seeking to fix the problem in time for students to make travel arrangements and be in college classrooms when the semester begins.
"We urge the State Department to ensure timely processing of F, M, and J student and exchange visitor nonimmigrant visas, consistent with the approach taken by administrations of both parties in the past, and to implement other measures to avoid diminishing U.S. competitiveness," the 30 U.S. Senators wrote. "Specifically, we are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates. This only exacerbates uncertainty about whether students' visas will be processed in time for them to travel to the United States to begin their studies."
The lawmakers highlighted the contributions international students make to universities and communities nationwide, including expanding opportunities for American students, generating economic activity, strengthening the U.S. workforce, and building international partnerships.
"International students are critical to the success of our universities, including contributing nearly $43 billion annually to local communities and supporting more than 355,000 American jobs during the 2024-2025 academic year. Even though international students make up only six percent of the total higher education population, their enrollment creates opportunities for American students," the senators continued. "International students also improve our national security by fostering global relationships, cross cultural understanding, and long-lasting diplomatic ties. These benefits are at risk if visa processing delays persist."
The senators urged the State Department to ensure the timely review and processing of student and exchange visitor visas, extend interview waivers for vetted returning student applicants, provide sufficient staffing for visa processing, and improve transparency and engagement with stakeholders. The senators also requested an explanation within 30 days about the causes of the delays and the measures being implemented to ensure student and exchange visitor visa applications are processed in a timely manner moving forward.
Over 5,000 international students attend colleges and universities across the Ocean State, according to SEVIS higher education tracking data from 2025. These students contribute over $270 million to Rhode Island's economy, according to SEVIS. Higher ed schools with large groups of international students enrolled include Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), the University of Rhode Island (URI), Johnson & Wales, and Providence College.
According to Ocean State Media's article, "Fewer visas, fewer students: URI sees international enrollment slide": "The University of Rhode Island saw a significant decrease in the number of international students enrolled this academic year, as heightened immigration enforcement by the Trump Administration makes it more difficult for many international students to attend school in the U.S.
"URI saw a 16% decrease in international student enrollment from the 2024-25 academic year to the 2025-26 academic year, according to data provided by the school. In the current academic year, 404 international students are enrolled - down from 480 the year prior.
"The decrease at URI follows a broader national trend that has hit many schools harder. The U.S. government issued 36% fewer visas of the kind most commonly used by international students just before the fall 2025 semester, according to a New York Times analysis of State Department data."
In addition to Padilla, Reed, and Whitehouse, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth, D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Full text of the letter follows:
Dear Secretary Rubio,
We write to express our concerns regarding the ongoing unavailability of visa appointments during the peak visa application season for students and scholars seeking to enter the U.S. in time for the start of classes and the academic year. We urge the State Department to ensure timely processing of F, M, and J student and exchange visitor nonimmigrant visas, consistent with the approach taken by administrations of both parties in the past, and to implement other measures to avoid diminishing U.S. competitiveness. Specifically, we are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates. This only exacerbates uncertainty about whether students' visas will be processed in time for them to travel to the United States to begin their studies.
These challenges come at a time when major academic institutions need skilled, international talent to begin their semesters. Without a fix, the repercussions will be felt across the academic and skilled-technical talent pipeline.
International students are critical to the success of our universities, including contributing nearly $43 billion annually to local communities and supporting more than 355,000 American jobs during the 2024-2025 academic year. Even though international students make up only six percent of the total higher education population, their enrollment creates opportunities for American students. For every additional international undergraduate enrolled at a U.S. public university, two additional in-state freshman students can enroll. Most international students pay out-of state tuition, injecting vital revenue into our colleges and universities and helping keep costs down for domestic students. International students also improve our national security by fostering global relationships, cross cultural understanding, and long-lasting diplomatic ties. These benefits are at risk if visa processing delays persist.
The case-by-case nature of availability for access to expedited appointments or National Interest Exception requests is neither efficient nor sustainable. Instead of diverting already limited personnel resources, the State Department should ensure that its consular sections restore priority to interview, adjudicate, and process student visas in time for the upcoming school year.
In addition to the above, we urge the State Department to extend interview waivers for vetted returning student applicants; ensure adequate staffing for timely visa vetting and processing; and meaningfully engage with stakeholders to promote greater transparency.
International students bolster the American workforce, drive innovation, and better position our country to maintain its competitive edge. Therefore, we request a written response answering these questions within 30 days:
1. What resources has the Department devoted to processing the backlogs and streamlining processing of F, J, and M visas?
2. Have consular process priorities changed since the spring and summer of 2025? What visa interview categories are currently prioritized by the Bureau of Consular Affairs and where do student visas fall within that list? Provide the list of visa interview prioritization.
3. What guidance has been sent to embassies and consulates regarding prioritization or deprioritization of student and exchange visitor visa processing? Provide a copy of all guidance regarding the prioritizing or deprioritizing of student and exchange visitor visas since August 2025 until the present day.
4. How are interview slots being allocated at embassies and consulates and where do student and exchange visitor visa appointments fit within that allocation?
5. How often are consular post websites and the main State Department website updated for relevant and current information regarding current U.S. consulate operations including visa appointment availability and approximate processing times?
6. When will you resume publicly posting monthly, accurate visa issuance data by category?
7. Will the Department commit to implementing regular, ongoing outreach and collaboration with stakeholders and relevant agencies about the student and exchange visitor visa process and ensure the timely processing of F, J, and M visas?
8. How do you ensure that embassies and consulates are accurately and timely informed of any regulatory or policy changes regarding student and exchange visitor visas?
9. What are the average processing times for F, M, and J visas at the top five locations processing these visas from September 2025 to date, disaggregated by month?
10. Last year, the Department of State announced new vetting, including online presence vetting, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classification.
1. What resources has the Department of State devoted to these new vetting procedures?
2. In developing these new vetting procedures, what steps has your Department taken to ensure our national security interests of welcoming bona fide international students in our communities can still be achieved through timely processing of F, J, and M visas.
3. How many applications have been refused pursuant to the new enhanced vetting procedures? Please disaggregate these numbers by the basis for refusal.
Sincerely,
***
Original text here: https://www.whitehouse.senate.gov/news/release/as-visa-delays-threaten-fall-arrival-for-international-students-reed-whitehouse-demand-answers-action-from-u-s-state-department/
As President Trump Refuses to Rule it Out, Slotkin Presses Hegseth to Guarantee Military Won't Interfere in Midterm Elections
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, issued the following news release:
* * *
As President Trump Refuses to Rule it Out, Slotkin Presses Hegseth to Guarantee Military Won't Interfere in Midterm Elections
*
Slotkin has sought the same assurances from Pentagon leaders under both parties in 2020 and 2024
WASHINGTON D.C. -Today, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) sent letters to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, calling on them to publicly confirm that the U.S. military will play no role in this November's elections. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: * * * As President Trump Refuses to Rule it Out, Slotkin Presses Hegseth to Guarantee Military Won't Interfere in Midterm Elections * Slotkin has sought the same assurances from Pentagon leaders under both parties in 2020 and 2024 WASHINGTON D.C. -Today, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) sent letters to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, calling on them to publicly confirm that the U.S. military will play no role in this November's elections.President Donald Trump has stated he would not rule out sending ICE or the military to the polls in November.
Federal law already makes it a crime to use the military to interfere in elections, including seizing ballots or voting equipment. But Hegseth has repeatedly declined to rule out using troops in this way, going so far as to make false claims to Congress to get out of answering. President Trump said earlier this year that he regretted not deploying the military after the 2020 election and that he would consider doing this during the November election.
"The nonpartisan tradition of military service and the constitutional guardrails that prevent our military from becoming a domestic police force for one political party are essential to maintaining our democracy," wrote Senator Slotkin. "Thus, our nation's senior-most defense and security leaders are the final failsafe for our democracy."
In 2020, then-Representative Slotkin joined then-Representative Mikie Sherrill in submitting questions for the record to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley, asking whether the military would ever be directed to interfere in an election and whether they would refuse such an order if given one. General Milley swiftly rejected the notion that the military would be used in any election duties, as that would violate the Constitution and laws of the United States.
In 2024, Slotkin and Sherrill again wrote to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman General CQ Brown, seeking renewed assurance that the military's nonpartisan tradition and constitutional limits would hold ahead of that year's elections.
Slotkin has raised the issue repeatedly as a member of the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, questioning Hegseth and other Trump administration nominees about their willingness to follow illegal orders, pressing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on the possibility of deploying ICE to polling sites, and questioning Defense Department officials and NORTHCOM's commander during Senate Armed Services Committee hearings.
Slotkin has introduced the Protect Our Polls Act, which would block President Trump from sending federal law enforcement or uniformed military to interfere in elections.
Read the letters to Secretary Hegseth here and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Caine here.
Read one pager on the letters here.
***
Original text here: https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/18/as-president-trump-refuses-to-rule-it-out-slotkin-presses-hegseth-to-guarantee-military-wont-interfere-in-midterm-elections/
* * *
As President Trump Refuses to Rule it Out, Slotkin Presses Hegseth to Guarantee Military Won't Interfere in Midterm Elections
*
Slotkin has sought the same assurances from Pentagon leaders under both parties in 2020 and 2024
WASHINGTON D.C. -Today, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) sent letters to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, calling on them to publicly confirm that the U.S. military will play no role in this November's elections. ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 -- Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan, issued the following news release: * * * As President Trump Refuses to Rule it Out, Slotkin Presses Hegseth to Guarantee Military Won't Interfere in Midterm Elections * Slotkin has sought the same assurances from Pentagon leaders under both parties in 2020 and 2024 WASHINGTON D.C. -Today, U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) sent letters to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, calling on them to publicly confirm that the U.S. military will play no role in this November's elections.President Donald Trump has stated he would not rule out sending ICE or the military to the polls in November.
Federal law already makes it a crime to use the military to interfere in elections, including seizing ballots or voting equipment. But Hegseth has repeatedly declined to rule out using troops in this way, going so far as to make false claims to Congress to get out of answering. President Trump said earlier this year that he regretted not deploying the military after the 2020 election and that he would consider doing this during the November election.
"The nonpartisan tradition of military service and the constitutional guardrails that prevent our military from becoming a domestic police force for one political party are essential to maintaining our democracy," wrote Senator Slotkin. "Thus, our nation's senior-most defense and security leaders are the final failsafe for our democracy."
In 2020, then-Representative Slotkin joined then-Representative Mikie Sherrill in submitting questions for the record to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley, asking whether the military would ever be directed to interfere in an election and whether they would refuse such an order if given one. General Milley swiftly rejected the notion that the military would be used in any election duties, as that would violate the Constitution and laws of the United States.
In 2024, Slotkin and Sherrill again wrote to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman General CQ Brown, seeking renewed assurance that the military's nonpartisan tradition and constitutional limits would hold ahead of that year's elections.
Slotkin has raised the issue repeatedly as a member of the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees, questioning Hegseth and other Trump administration nominees about their willingness to follow illegal orders, pressing Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on the possibility of deploying ICE to polling sites, and questioning Defense Department officials and NORTHCOM's commander during Senate Armed Services Committee hearings.
Slotkin has introduced the Protect Our Polls Act, which would block President Trump from sending federal law enforcement or uniformed military to interfere in elections.
Read the letters to Secretary Hegseth here and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Caine here.
Read one pager on the letters here.
***
Original text here: https://www.slotkin.senate.gov/2026/08/18/as-president-trump-refuses-to-rule-it-out-slotkin-presses-hegseth-to-guarantee-military-wont-interfere-in-midterm-elections/