U.S. Congress
Here's a look at documents from all members of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate
Featured Stories
House Passes Major Veteran Education and Workforce Opportunity Reform Bills
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- Rep. Mike Bost, R-Illinois, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 2, 2026:
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House Passes Major Veteran Education and Workforce Opportunity Reform Bills
Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), released the following statements after the House passed two key, bipartisan bills: H.R. 980, The Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act, and H.R. 1458, The VETS Opportunity
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- Rep. Mike Bost, R-Illinois, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 2, 2026:
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House Passes Major Veteran Education and Workforce Opportunity Reform Bills
Today, House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), and Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), released the following statements after the House passed two key, bipartisan bills: H.R. 980, The Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act, and H.R. 1458, The VETS OpportunityAct, both bills which would reform, expand, and modernize certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) GI Bill education and workforce programs, including the Veterans Readiness & Employment (VR&E) program.
"We must continue to modernize the GI Bill to meet veterans' needs so that today and tomorrow's veterans can get high-paying jobs in in-demand fields across the country. I am proud of the two key education and workforce opportunity bills we passed out of the House this week, led by my friends and colleagues, Rep. Van Orden and Rep. Ciscomani, both with bipartisan support to accomplish that goal," said Chairman Bost. "House Republicans will continue to advance policies that makes a real difference in veterans' day-to-day lives by boosting the programs veterans, active-duty servicemembers, Nation Guardsmen, Reservists, and their families use to get the education and job training they want - where they want it, and when they want it - without a bunch of bureaucracy standing in the way."
"As a retired Navy SEAL, taking care of veterans is personal to me. No veteran should wait months for answers or fight through red tape to use the benefits they earned. Too many veterans get stuck waiting on paperwork and chasing answers just to access benefits they've already earned. My bill strengthens the Veterans Readiness and Employment program by putting more counselors on the ground, standing up a direct support hotline, and expanding training opportunities so veterans can transition faster and with confidence," said Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Chairman Van Orden.
To learn more about H.R. 980, the Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act, click here.
"As I represent nearly 80,000 veterans in Southern Arizona, I know firsthand when service members transition to civilian life, they bring discipline, leadership, and a strong work ethic. Too often, the system limits how they can use the benefits they earned. The VETS Opportunity Act changes that by modernizing the GI Bill and expanding access to high-quality certificates and technical training programs, possibly offered in a hybrid format, that lead directly to good-paying jobs in high-demand fields. Not every veteran wants or needs a traditional four-year degree. Many want fast, skills-based training that connects them to careers in the trades, health care, technology, and other critical fields. This bill recognizes reality and gives veterans the flexibility to choose the path that works best for them and their families. This legislation empowers our nation's veterans, strengthens our workforce, and honors the promise this country made to those who served. By strengthening education benefits, we empower veterans, build a stronger workforce, and drive a stronger economy," said Rep. Ciscomani.
To learn more about H.R. 1458, the VETS Opportunity Act, click here.
In addition to H.R. 980 and H.R. 1458, the following bills were passed out of the House today:
H.R. 3123 - Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act, as amended (Rep. Stefanik)
H.R. 658 - To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish qualifications for the appointment of a person as a marriage and family therapist, qualified to provide clinical supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration, as amended (Rep. Brownley)
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Original text here: https://veterans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=7849
House Natural Resources Subcommittee Sets Feb. 4 Legislative Hearing
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries issued the following information for a legislative hearing at 10 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2026, at 1324 Longworth House Office Building:
Agenda:
* H.R. 3276 (Rep. Dingell), "Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025"
* H.R. 6021 (Rep. Begich), "Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act"
* H.R. 6568 (Rep. Downing), "Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act"
* H.R. 7159 (Rep. Gosar), "Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026"
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Original text here: https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418575
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries issued the following information for a legislative hearing at 10 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2026, at 1324 Longworth House Office Building:
Agenda:
* H.R. 3276 (Rep. Dingell), "Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025"
* H.R. 6021 (Rep. Begich), "Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act"
* H.R. 6568 (Rep. Downing), "Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act"
* H.R. 7159 (Rep. Gosar), "Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026"
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Original text here: https://naturalresources.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=418575
House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Sets Feb. 4 Hearing on Defending Religious Freedom Around the World
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on Middle East and North Africa and Western Hemisphere issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Defending Religious Freedom Around the World" at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2026, at 2172 Rayburn House Office Building:
Witnesses
* The Honorable Sam Brownback, Former Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State
* Grace Drexel, Daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin
* Dr. Stephen F. Schneck, Former Chair, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
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Original text here: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/defending-religious-freedom-around-the-world
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittees on Middle East and North Africa and Western Hemisphere issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Defending Religious Freedom Around the World" at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2026, at 2172 Rayburn House Office Building:
Witnesses
* The Honorable Sam Brownback, Former Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of State
* Grace Drexel, Daughter of Pastor Ezra Jin
* Dr. Stephen F. Schneck, Former Chair, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
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Original text here: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/defending-religious-freedom-around-the-world
House Financial Services Subcommittee Sets Feb. 4 Hearing on Day at SEC - Restoring Accountability, Due Process & Public Confidence
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets issued the following information for a hearing entitled "A New Day at the SEC: Restoring Accountability, Due Process, and Public Confidence" at 2 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2026, at 2128 Rayburn House Office Building:
Witnesses:
* Mr. Peter Chan, Partner, Baker McKenzie
* Mr. Alexander Cohen, Partner & Co-Chair of the National Office, Latham & Watkins
* Mr. Chris Iacovella, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Securities Association
Legislation:
* H.R. 3318, the SEC Modernization Act
* H.R. 216, the Securities
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets issued the following information for a hearing entitled "A New Day at the SEC: Restoring Accountability, Due Process, and Public Confidence" at 2 p.m. on Feb. 4, 2026, at 2128 Rayburn House Office Building:
Witnesses:
* Mr. Peter Chan, Partner, Baker McKenzie
* Mr. Alexander Cohen, Partner & Co-Chair of the National Office, Latham & Watkins
* Mr. Chris Iacovella, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Securities Association
Legislation:
* H.R. 3318, the SEC Modernization Act
* H.R. 216, the SecuritiesEnforcement Clarity Act of 2025
* H.R. ___, the SEC Reform and Restructuring Act
* H.R. ___, the SEC Regulatory Accountability Act
* H.R. ___, the SEC Cybersecurity Act
* H.R. ___, the SEC Transparency Act
* H.R. ___, the Review the Expansion of Government (REG) Act
* H.R. ___, the SEC Regulatory Evaluation, Verification, and Integrity of Effective Workflows (REVIEW) Act
* H.R. ___, the Streamlining Public Company Accounting Oversight Act
* H.R. ___, a bill to amend the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 with respect to the authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission to seek disgorgement, and for other purposes
* H.R. ___, a bill to amend the securities laws to codify certain disqualification waiver processes, and for other purposes
* H.R. ___, a bill to require the Comptroller General of the United States to carry out a study regarding major rules issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission
* H.R. ___, a bill to establish a minimum public comment period with respect to proposed rules issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission
* H.R. ___, a bill to require the Director of the Office of International Affairs of the Securities and Exchange Commission to semiannually report to Congress with respect to discussions with international securities standard setting bodies
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Original text here: https://financialservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=410992
Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce Energy Subcommittee Markup of Five Bills to Strengthen American Cybersecurity
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 2, 2026:
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Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce Energy Subcommittee Markup of Five Bills to Strengthen American Cybersecurity
Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a subcommittee markup of five bills.
WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy markup of five bills.
DATE: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
TIME: 2:00 PM ET
LOCATION:
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on Feb. 2, 2026:
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Chairmen Guthrie and Latta Announce Energy Subcommittee Markup of Five Bills to Strengthen American Cybersecurity
Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, announced a subcommittee markup of five bills.
WHAT: Subcommittee on Energy markup of five bills.
DATE: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
TIME: 2:00 PM ET
LOCATION:2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Items to be considered:
* H.R. 7258, Energy Emergency Leadership Act (Reps. Lee-FL and Landsman)
* H.R. 7266, Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act (Reps. Miller-Meeks and McClellan)
* H.R. 7257, Securing Community Upgrades for a Resilient Grid (SECURE Grid) Act (Reps. Latta and Matsui)
* H.R. 7272, Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act (Reps. Weber and Dingell)
* H.R. 7305, Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026 (Reps. Castor and Evans)
This notice is at the direction of the Chairman. The markup will be open to the public and press and will be livestreamed online at energycommerce.house.gov. If you have any questions concerning this hearing, please contact Calvin Huggins with the Committee staff at Calvin.Huggins1@mail.house.gov. If you have any press-related questions, please contact Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov.
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Original text here: https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/chairmen-guthrie-and-latta-announce-energy-subcommittee-markup-of-five-bills-to-strengthen-american-cybersecurity
Chair Cassidy Continues Investigation Into 340B Drug Program, Seeks Information From 340B Prime Vendor
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following news:
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Chair Cassidy Continues Investigation into 340B Drug Program, Seeks Information from 340B Prime Vendor
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is seeking information from the 340B prime vendor, Apexus, on how it generates revenue from and structures its business practices around the 340B Drug Pricing Program. This is part of Cassidy's years-long investigation
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, issued the following news:
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Chair Cassidy Continues Investigation into 340B Drug Program, Seeks Information from 340B Prime Vendor
U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, is seeking information from the 340B prime vendor, Apexus, on how it generates revenue from and structures its business practices around the 340B Drug Pricing Program. This is part of Cassidy's years-long investigationinto how revenue flows between different participants in the 340B Program, ensuring it supports American patients and families by lowering health care costs.
"As I indicated in my report on the 340B Program last spring, a serious lack of transparency in the 340B Program prevents 340B discounts from translating to better access or lower costs for patients," wrote Dr. Cassidy. "In light of Apexus's role as the current 340B prime vendor, and given questions raised into its business practices, I am requesting information and data to better understand how Apexus generates its revenue and designs its commercial offerings related to the 340B Program."
Since 2004, Apexus has held an exclusive contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as the sole 340B prime vendor. As the prime vendor, Apexus is tasked with negotiating drug prices for covered entities that are below the 340B statutory ceiling price, establishing distribution solutions and networks to improve access to affordable medications, and providing educational products and other services. Apexus also has a number of other 340B-related business practices that fall outside of its contract with HRSA, which nonetheless generate significant revenue from covered entities and manufacturers.
Last year, media reports found that Apexus generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue through fees it collects for almost every drug sold under the 340B Program. It also found that Apexus has expanded its business beyond its core role as the 340B prime vendor, working with covered entities to increase 340B utilization and adding additional business lines to increase its profits.
As Chairman of the HELP Committee, Cassidy is committed to strengthening accountability and transparency in the 340B Program to ensure patients in need can access quality health care. To this end, Cassidy wants further clarity from Apexus to ensure the 340B Prime Vendor Program operates as efficiently as possible, while benefitting patients and avoiding misaligned incentives.
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INFODOC: https://www.help.senate.gov/26-02-01-chairman-cassidy-letter-to-apexus_finalpdf
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Original text here: https://www.help.senate.gov/rep/newsroom/press/chair-cassidy-continues-investigation-into-340b-drug-program-seeks-information-from-340b-prime-vendor-1
House Education & Workforce Subcommittee Sets Feb. 4 Hearing on Runaway College Spending Meets Working Families Tax Cuts
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Runaway College Spending Meets the Working Families Tax Cuts" at 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2026, at 2175 Rayburn House Office Building:
Witnesses:
* Dr. Beth Akers, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
* Mr. Geoffrey Landward, Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
* Dr. Julie Margetta Morgan, President, The Century Foundation
* Mr. Raymond Rodrigues, Chancellor, State University System of Florida
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Original
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 3 -- The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development issued the following information for a hearing entitled "Runaway College Spending Meets the Working Families Tax Cuts" at 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2026, at 2175 Rayburn House Office Building:
Witnesses:
* Dr. Beth Akers, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
* Mr. Geoffrey Landward, Commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education
* Dr. Julie Margetta Morgan, President, The Century Foundation
* Mr. Raymond Rodrigues, Chancellor, State University System of Florida
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Originaltext here: https://edworkforce.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=413049
Barr Delivers Federal Dollars to Upgrade Harrodsburg Police Equipment
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -- Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release:
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Barr Delivers Federal Dollars to Upgrade Harrodsburg Police Equipment
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Harrodsburg, KY- U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) secured $96,192 in federal funding to modernize equipment for the Harrodsburg Police Department as part of the Closing the Technology Gap initiative. Barr secured the funding through the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026. He voted for the appropriations package earlier this month and President Trump recently
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -- Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release:
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Barr Delivers Federal Dollars to Upgrade Harrodsburg Police Equipment
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Harrodsburg, KY- U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (KY-06) secured $96,192 in federal funding to modernize equipment for the Harrodsburg Police Department as part of the Closing the Technology Gap initiative. Barr secured the funding through the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026. He voted for the appropriations package earlier this month and President Trump recentlysigned the funding bill into law.
The funding will provide the Harrodsburg Police Department with 20 Taser 7 devices and related equipment. The project is designed to enhance officer safety, improve de-escalation capabilities, and equip officers with modern, less-lethal tools to protect the community.
"Providing our law enforcement officers with modern, effective tools is essential to public safety," said Congressman Barr. "I'll always fight for our law enforcement so that they can defend our communities and keep us safe. I also want to thank President Trump for signing this funding bill into law and making strategic investments like this to support our police."
Harrodsburg officials identified this project as a critical priority to close technology gaps and strengthen officer readiness. The new tasers will allow officers to respond more safely to dangerous situations, reducing the risk of serious injury for both law enforcement and the community.
"Thanks to Congressman Barr, our department will be able to equip officers with modern, life-saving technology," said Harrodsburg Police Chief Scott Elder. "This funding will help us protect our community and ensure our officers have the tools they need to do their jobs safely and effectively."
"We are extremely and profoundly fortunate to have a friend in government, Rep. Andy Barr, through whose support and assistance we received funding to help our local law enforcement provide a better and safer level of service to our community. Thank you, Rep. Andy Barr, for your continued leadership, dedication, and support," said Mayor of Harrodsburg Bob Williams.
"This is exactly the kind of investment that makes our community safer," said Mercer County Judge/Executive Sarah Steele. "Congressman Barr fought to secure this funding, so our police officers have modern equipment to keep themselves and the public safe, and we're thankful for his continued support of law enforcement."
"Strong public safety starts with cooperation at every level of government, and this announcement is welcome news. I recently joined Attorney General Russell Coleman to highlight state-funded protective vests for law enforcement across Kentucky. Building on that commitment to giving officers the tools they need to serve, I commend Rep. Barr for securing federal support for Harrodsburg Police Department, directly supporting the officers who serve and protect our community," said State Senator Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R-KY-12).
"Without a doubt the funding Congressman Barr secured will go a long way toward providing our police department with the tools they need to protect and serve the people of Harrodsburg safely and effectively. I appreciate Congressman Barr's commitment to Harrodsburg and our Commonwealth," said State Representative Kim King (R-KY-55).
Permalink: https://barr.house.gov/2026/2/barr-delivers-federal-dollars-to-upgrade-harrodsburg-police-equipment
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Original text here: https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=70AB90D8-3782-44DB-A8D0-60D365F6084F
Amata Expects American Samoa's Port Funding to Be Secured
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (Rep.) -- Del. Aumua Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, issued the following news release:
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Amata Expects American Samoa's Port Funding to Be Secured
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Congress Negotiating End to Partial Government Shutdown
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is expecting American Samoa's funding to be secured, despite the current partial government shutdown. American Samoa has one House-passed funding addition that Congresswoman Amata requested now awaiting the vote that will end the shutdown, while another recent announcement is completed and was signed into law a
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (Rep.) -- Del. Aumua Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, issued the following news release:
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Amata Expects American Samoa's Port Funding to Be Secured
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Congress Negotiating End to Partial Government Shutdown
Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is expecting American Samoa's funding to be secured, despite the current partial government shutdown. American Samoa has one House-passed funding addition that Congresswoman Amata requested now awaiting the vote that will end the shutdown, while another recent announcement is completed and was signed into law aweek ago.Her House-passed requests include $1 million in project funds for port improvements, awaiting one last vote, and a $900,000 boost to American Samoa's operations fund via OIA that was signed into law in late January. These appropriations legislative packages also contain broadly all other federal funding and services that the territory receives from various U.S. departments and agencies over the course of a year, including formulas and grants.
The House has successfully passed the traditional 12 appropriations bills for the year, but the Senate did not pass half of them in time to prevent a partial shutdown at midnight January 31, when the Continuing Resolution expired. Senators held up the remaining government funding over disagreements regarding Department of Homeland Security support levels. However, it is a partial shutdown because six of the 12 appropriations, already passed, were signed into law.
Currently, a negotiated compromise proposal could be sent to the House this week that would pass full-year funding for remaining departments, agencies, and programs, including American Samoa's port funding.
"I'm very confident our funds will be secured," said Congresswoman Amata. "American Samoa's funding is in the House-passed appropriations bills that include the Department of Transportation, while the Department of the Interior is already funded. Our remaining funds are right at the finish line. I'm optimistic the necessary agreement will be in place soon, government funding will be voted through, and this partial shutdown will end much sooner than the unfortunate one that lasted from October 1 through November 12, 2025."
She continued, "I oppose these shutdowns as they are generally unnecessary and funding disagreements should be resolved for the good of the country before deadlines."
Funded departments include Agriculture, with its Nutrition programs, including American Samoa's grant; Interior, with $29 million for American Samoa operations and other grant support; Veterans Affairs; Commerce; and Justice. Some of the key funded agencies include EPA, NOAA, and FDA.
Departments awaiting final passage include Transportation, with highway and port funds for American Samoa; HHS; Labor; Education; Defense, which funds the military pay raise Congress already authorized; and Homeland Security.
Issues : Congress
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Original text here: https://radewagen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/amata-expects-american-samoa-s-port-funding-be-secured
Amata Emphasizes World Cancer Day 2026
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (Rep.) -- Del. Aumua Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, issued the following news release:
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Amata Emphasizes World Cancer Day 2026
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Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata released the following statement emphasizing World Cancer Day on February 4th:
"Modern nutrition and health care knowledge have done wonders for our overall longevity and well-being, but cancer remains an especially difficult illness to fully defeat. Fortunately, medical understanding, procedures and technologies are always growing to develop more effective treatments. Sadly, cancer still
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (Rep.) -- Del. Aumua Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, issued the following news release:
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Amata Emphasizes World Cancer Day 2026
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Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata released the following statement emphasizing World Cancer Day on February 4th:
"Modern nutrition and health care knowledge have done wonders for our overall longevity and well-being, but cancer remains an especially difficult illness to fully defeat. Fortunately, medical understanding, procedures and technologies are always growing to develop more effective treatments. Sadly, cancer stillends up affecting almost every family or circle of friends at some point in every lifetime, and we all know a survivor or those battling this disease."The goal of World Cancer Day is to raise awareness, improve prevention, and save lives. Our first tool against cancer is the earliest possible detection to start rapid treatment. It's a fact that American Samoa has additional challenges due to our remote geography. We continue to work towards improved infrastructure, better equipment, telehealth access, and doing what we can to attract and keep good doctors and nurses. We are blessed with the dedicated health care professionals choosing to serve our people here. Thank you to each one of you, and we support you."
The 2026 appropriations effort, upon either final passage in the Senate or a House/Senate compromise likely this week, includes a variety of bolstered support for cancer efforts, and out of this comes funding for American Samoa. Final passage is expected for $47 million for National Institutes of Health this year, $7 billion for National Cancer Institute, over $30 million for the Childhood Cancer STAR Act and $55 million for the Childhood Cancer Data Initiative programs, and over $410 million for CDC cancer programs. None of these amounts will change in final congressional negotiations, and these funding efforts have been widely applauded by various major cancer fighting organizations.
Issues : Healthcare
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Original text here: https://radewagen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/amata-emphasizes-world-cancer-day-2026
Advisory: Norton, Van Hollen, DC Vote, Free DC to Host Virtual Press Conference Opposing Resolution to Nullify Local D.C. Law
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (Rep.) -- Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., issued the following news release:
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Advisory: Norton, Van Hollen, DC Vote, Free DC to Host Virtual Press Conference Opposing Resolution to Nullify Local D.C. Law
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The House is expected to vote on the disapproval resolution tomorrow.
(WASHINGTON, DC) - On Tuesday, February 3rd at 11:00 a.m., Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the Senate sponsor of the D.C. statehood bill, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), DC Vote (link is external), DC Fiscal Policy Institute (link is external), and Free DC (link is external) will
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (Rep.) -- Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., issued the following news release:
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Advisory: Norton, Van Hollen, DC Vote, Free DC to Host Virtual Press Conference Opposing Resolution to Nullify Local D.C. Law
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The House is expected to vote on the disapproval resolution tomorrow.
(WASHINGTON, DC) - On Tuesday, February 3rd at 11:00 a.m., Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the Senate sponsor of the D.C. statehood bill, Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), DC Vote (link is external), DC Fiscal Policy Institute (link is external), and Free DC (link is external) willhost a press conference to oppose a disapproval resolution that the House is expected to vote on tomorrow. If signed into law by the president, the resolution would repeal a local D.C. law that restores the child tax credit, increased an existing earned income tax credit, and decoupled D.C.'s tax code from certain provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
D.C. isn't alone in decoupling parts of its tax code from the OBBBA. Nearly half the states, including Virginia and Maryland, have decoupled their state's tax codes from parts of the federal tax code. Enactment of the resolution would be unprecedented, as Congress has never overturned a revenue-raising effort for D.C.
WHEN: Tuesday, February 3 rd at 11:00 a.m.
WHO: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Stasha Rhodes, Senior Director of Public Affairs, DC Vote, Erica Williams, Executive Director, DC Fiscal Policy Institute, and Michelle Chappell, Co-Chair Congress Working Group, Free DC.
WHERE: Zoom. Participant link will be provided to media after RSVP is sent to Jeannette O'Connor at JOConnor@DCvote.org (link sends email).
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Original text here: https://norton.house.gov/media/press-releases/advisory-norton-van-hollen-dc-vote-free-dc-host-virtual-press-conference
Begich, Bonamici Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Water Power Innovation
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -- Rep. Nicholas J. Begich III, R-Alaska, issued the following news release:
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Begich, Bonamici Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Water Power Innovation
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Feb. 2, 2026 - Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced H.R. 7129 (link is external), the Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen America's water power technologies and modernize federal research efforts critical to grid reliability, energy security, and innovation.
"Hydropower has long
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -- Rep. Nicholas J. Begich III, R-Alaska, issued the following news release:
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Begich, Bonamici Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Water Power Innovation
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Feb. 2, 2026 - Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced H.R. 7129 (link is external), the Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen America's water power technologies and modernize federal research efforts critical to grid reliability, energy security, and innovation.
"Hydropower has longbeen a proven part of America's baseload energy mix," said Congressman Begich. "This legislation will support the development of next-generation hydropower and marine energy technologies that can provide long-duration storage and critical grid services. By continuing to invest in innovation and performance validation, we're ensuring water power remains a dependable solution that works for Alaska and helps build a more reliable energy grid nationwide. I'm proud to work across the aisle to advance energy policies that make sense for Alaska and for the nation."
Congresswoman Bonamici previously led the most recent reauthorization of these programs in 2020, which was signed into law with bipartisan support.
"Water power technologies have tremendous potential to provide cheaper, cleaner, and more resilient energy," said Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. "This legislation will spur innovation to leverage the power of waves, tides, and currents to create opportunities for more Oregonians and Americans to benefit from this promising energy source."
BACKGROUND:
The Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act would reauthorize and modernize the Department of Energy's (DOE) water power research, development, demonstration, and commercialization programs. The legislation supports advancements in hydropower, pumped storage, and marine energy technologies, including wave, tidal, and current-based power systems.
Companion legislation, S. 3684 (link is external), is led in the U.S. Senate by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR).
***
Original text here: https://begich.house.gov/media/press-releases/begich-bonamici-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-strengthen-water-power
Barrett Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Establish Term Limits for Federal Judges
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -- Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Barrett Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Establish Term Limits for Federal Judges
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Washington, D.C. -Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today announced a new piece of government reform legislation to build on the first pillar of his Blueprint for a Better America -Restoring Trust in Government. The constitutional amendment would limit federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, to serving a 20-year term.
The Judicial Term Limits Amendment ( H.J.Res 145 (link is external) ) would also prevent
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 -- Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Michigan, issued the following news release:
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Barrett Introduces Constitutional Amendment to Establish Term Limits for Federal Judges
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Washington, D.C. -Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07) today announced a new piece of government reform legislation to build on the first pillar of his Blueprint for a Better America -Restoring Trust in Government. The constitutional amendment would limit federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, to serving a 20-year term.
The Judicial Term Limits Amendment ( H.J.Res 145 (link is external) ) would also preventjudges who complete a 20-year term from getting reappointed to the same federal court. This would only apply to newly appointed federal judges, allowing the term limit to take effect gradually as current judges leave the bench, while preventing the president and Senate from immediately getting new judicial vacancies to fill.
"Our federal courts are responsible for upholding our most fundamental rights and liberties," said Barrett. "Lifetime appointments were designed to protect judicial independence, but instead have too often emboldened judges to wield their enormous power long after they should have retired. When our Constitution was ratified, 20 years practically was a lifetime appointment. Along with the Keep the Nine Amendment that I co-sponsored, a reasonable term limit will ensure occasional turnover in powerful offices, preserve the independence our judiciary needs to apply the law without fear or favor, and protect the integrity of the courts for generations to come."
The average age of federal judges has risen significantly (link is external) since the nation's founding. The average judge as of 2024 is 68 years old, compared to 49 years old in 1789.
The Judicial Term Limits Amendment builds on Barrett's effort to preserve judicial independence and keep partisan politics from interfering with the judiciary by permanently setting the Supreme Court's membership at nine justices.
About Barrett's Blueprint for a Better America
Restoring Trust in Government is the first of five pillars of Barrett's Blueprint for a Better America. The Congressman will continue to unveil additional proposals in the coming weeks to address all of the five key policy pillars of this agenda:
* Restoring Trust in Government: Making Government Serve the People, Not Special Interests
* Reviving the American Dream: Helping Families Afford Homes in Mid-Michigan
* Making Health Care Affordable Again: Lowering Costs for Working Families
* Recalibrating American Foreign Policy: Ending Endless Wars and Promoting Peace Through Strength
* Reforming Campaign Finance: Putting Governing Before Campaigning
To learn more, click here or visit barrett.house.gov/reform.
Read the full bill text for the Judicial Term Limits Amendment here.
***
Original text here: https://barrett.house.gov/media/press-releases/barrett-introduces-constitutional-amendment-establish-term-limits-federal
Chairman Arrington: "Kevin Warsh is the Right Man for the Job."
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release:
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Chairman Arrington: "Kevin Warsh is the right man for the job."
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) released the following statement after President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to serve as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:
"Kevin Warsh is the right man for the job.
"Kevin is a longtime friend and former White House colleague--one of the smartest and most talented people I have ever served with.
"Kevin is a
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, chairman of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release:
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Chairman Arrington: "Kevin Warsh is the right man for the job."
House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) released the following statement after President Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to serve as Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System:
"Kevin Warsh is the right man for the job.
"Kevin is a longtime friend and former White House colleague--one of the smartest and most talented people I have ever served with.
"Kevin is aconservative economist, financial markets expert, and respected authority on fiscal, monetary, and economic policy.
"Kevin is a strong leader with deep convictions for free people, free markets, and fiscal responsibility. He has questioned the Fed's recent failures, criticized the Fed's overreach of the past, and rightfully admonished the Fed's complicity in the explosion of our national debt.
"He has dedicated his career to serving our great country and advancing the principles that made America the most powerful and prosperous nation in human history."
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Original text here: https://budget.house.gov/press-release/chairman-arrington-kevin-warsh-is-the-right-man-for-the-job
Chair Smith: Trump Accounts are Transformational for America's Children
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release:
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Chair Smith: Trump Accounts are Transformational for America's Children
Drawing on his own upbringing, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08), during a Government Leaders Panel at the Trump Accounts Summit, described how limited opportunity can shape a child's future and how the new Trump Accounts, passed in the Working Families Tax Cuts, will change that reality by delivering a transformational investment for kids in every zip code.
Chairman
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Rep. Jason Smith, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following news release:
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Chair Smith: Trump Accounts are Transformational for America's Children
Drawing on his own upbringing, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08), during a Government Leaders Panel at the Trump Accounts Summit, described how limited opportunity can shape a child's future and how the new Trump Accounts, passed in the Working Families Tax Cuts, will change that reality by delivering a transformational investment for kids in every zip code.
ChairmanSmith: "I was raised in a single wide trailer for most of my life, until we upgraded to a double wide. And my hometown that I still live in today, the average income for an individual is less than $26,000 a year. And so when you look at that, this is the opportunity for those kids. It doesn't matter if you live on a city block or a county road, you're going to have this investment, and it will be transformational...Trump Accounts are going to be the most transformational coming from what we were able to deliver, and Americans' lives are going to be affected in such a positive way for generations."
Chairman Smith also shared how many late nights of debate and hard work by members of Congress combined with a decisive, last-minute push from President Trump helped ensure that Trump Accounts would be included in the Working Families Tax Cuts and solidify one of the President's biggest legacies during his second term.
Chairman Smith: "Without a doubt, President Trump's push and involvement for these Trump Accounts are the only reason why they ultimately made it in the big, beautiful, bill in the House of Representatives...We had to really thread a needle, and we put in more than 60 hours over at the Library of Congress, the Ways and Means Republicans debating and building consensus in all different provisions...We had the discussion on the Trump Accounts, and I was able to tell my members of the committee, this is a priority. This is a priority of President Trump...This is transformational in the lives of every single American, and so without a doubt, it would have never happened without President Trump weighing in, and that will be, I think, one of the biggest legacies of his presidency."
Signed into law on July 4, 2025, as part of the Working Families Tax Cuts, Trump Accounts allow parents, guardians, or other custodians to establish a new type of tax-advantaged individual savings and investment account for their children. As part of a special pilot program, every American child born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, is eligible to receive an automatic $1,000 deposit from the U.S. government into their Trump Accounts, giving every newborn a stake in the future success of the American economy. Parents can also contribute up to $5,000 per year and employers up to $2,500 per year.
Background
* Trump Accounts give millions of American children, regardless of background, a share of the American economy and a personal stake in the future success of our country.
* Children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, are eligible to receive $1,000 from Treasury as a pilot program contribution.
* In addition to the pilot program, parents can contribute up to $5,000/year, and employers up to $2,500/year.
* State, local, and tribal governments, as well as charities can also contribute.
Visit here (https://trumpaccounts.gov/) for more information on Trump Accounts.
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Original text here: https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2026/01/30/chair-smith-trump-accounts-are-transformational-for-americas-children/
Chainalysis Cyber Threat Intelligence Head Koven Testifies Before Senate Special Committee on Aging
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following written testimony by Jacqueline Burns Koven, head of cyber threat intelligence at Chainalysis Inc., New York, from a Jan. 14, 2026, hearing entitled "Made in China, Paid by Seniors: Stopping the Surge of International Scams":
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Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and distinguished members of the Special Committee: Thank you for inviting me to testify before you today on the pressing issue of international fraud and scams targeting older Americans, largely perpetrated by Chinese Organized Crime syndicates.
My
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- The Senate Special Committee on Aging released the following written testimony by Jacqueline Burns Koven, head of cyber threat intelligence at Chainalysis Inc., New York, from a Jan. 14, 2026, hearing entitled "Made in China, Paid by Seniors: Stopping the Surge of International Scams":
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Chairman Scott, Ranking Member Gillibrand, and distinguished members of the Special Committee: Thank you for inviting me to testify before you today on the pressing issue of international fraud and scams targeting older Americans, largely perpetrated by Chinese Organized Crime syndicates.
Myname is Jacqueline Burns Koven, and I am the Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence for the blockchain data platform Chainalysis, where we harness the transparency of blockchains so that banks, businesses, and governments have the data and investigations, compliance, and security solutions they need for this new digital economy to thrive. We track cryptocurrency use by illicit actors, such as those carrying out investment and impersonation scams, and provide data on their financial activity to private- and publicsector customers, including the federal government.
In my testimony, I provide our assessment of the extent of scam activity and the role that cryptocurrencies play, and recommend how we can best mobilize and fight back against the growing scourge of scams that are putting all Americans, especially the most vulnerable among us, at risk. Once again, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on this important topic and continue to be a helpful partner on initiatives by Congress to better protect Americans - especially the most vulnerable - against scams and fraud.
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Key Takeaways
* Cryptocurrencies are a primary channel for scammers' operations; with the right data, tools, and resources, this should put the government at an advantage.
* AI technology is making scams more effective, but it can also help detect fraud and prevent potential victims from falling victim to scams and sending money.
* Scammers are leveraging a vast, industrialized ecosystem of illicit tools and Chinese-language money laundering networks for their operations.
* Government and industry responses are fragmented and reactive. This crisis requires a unified and technology-enabled response.
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The growing intersection of scams and cryptocurrencies: $17B stolen in 2025
Americans, and especially older Americans, have not been immune to the threat posed by a global, organized, and pernicious scam industrial complex that adeptly leverages technological developments in social media, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrencies.
Cryptocurrencies are often the financial rails of choice for scammers for the same reasons legitimate users use them - transactions are cross-border and instantaneous. But I am here today to emphasize that fraudsters' use of cryptocurrency should place them at a fundamental disadvantage, given the traceability and freezeability of many of these assets.
At Chainalysis, we analyze transaction data from blockchain networks in conjunction with open-source intelligence to map the ecosystem of legitimate and illicit flows. Our software provides a clear, visual representation of potential scam networks and laundering activities, a level of transparency that isn't possible for traditional forms of value transfer. Indeed, identifying a single cryptocurrency payment to a scam enterprise can often lead to identifying hundreds of other victim payments, the illicit services they leverage, and, in some cases, the scam compound from which the scammers operate. This visibility also enables us to estimate the amount of crypto funds stolen in fraud and scams over time.
According to Chainalysis data, 2025 was a record year for cryptocurrency scams, totalling an estimated $17 billion worth of cryptocurrency globally. Fraudsters can always be counted on to abuse novel technologies, and scam conglomerates are exceptionally adept at wielding new tools to scale their schemes to defraud Americans. Nobody is better than Chinese organized crime groups. They are the global market leaders in criminal fintech, and the Chinese-language underground ecosystem underpinning them is the most advanced in the world. They provide the entire spectrum of "crimeware" needed to conjure up a scam-- social media profiles, mass calling and text spamming tools, stealer malware, data targeting lists with names and phone numbers of potential targets, AI technologies for deepfakes and voicecloning or fake investment platforms, laundering engines, and critical underground banking infrastructure - leveraging cryptocurrency as a form of payment.
The unique intelligence provided by the blockchain should be considered foundational for understanding the fraud problem at both a strategic and tactical level. The inherent transparency of blockchains, combined with the right data and tools, can illuminate the key components of the scam supply chain that support our national scam crisis. This can empower the U.S. Government to understand the scale of the problem, measure the impact of a counterscam strategy, surface investigative leads for the attribution of threat actors behind these campaigns, and identify opportunities for disruption.
Law enforcement and regulatory bodies can disrupt these networks, cut them off from the global financial system, and make it harder for them to profit by targeting illicit entities and networks on the blockchain with sanctions and asset seizure. Blockchain analytics offers unique opportunities to trace illicit proceeds of crime, identify additional victims, and partner with the private sector to disrupt illicit networks and pursue restitution, rather than relying on one-off criminal investigations.
However, despite this huge potential for disruption, scammers are exploiting the disjointed, siloed nature of how the public and private sectors respond to their schemes. To be truly effective, we must pursue a multifaceted strategy that prioritizes uprooting the enabling scam infrastructure and identifying and bringing to justice the individuals responsible for perpetrating the scams.
Finally, we need to focus on prevention. AI-powered fraud prevention technology can stop victim funds from being stolen by scammers. But financial institutions and cryptocurrency businesses need guidance on when and how to intervene when they suspect their customers may be in the process of being scammed. On one hand, providing some friction may be critical to preventing funds from being sent to scammers. On the other hand, financial institutions may be hesitant to limit what their customers can do with their own money. Part of the solution involves using data to help financial institutions stop their customers from sending to likely scams at the point of transaction, rather than trying to anticipate what their customers are doing based on behavioral red flags alone. But even so, regulatory guidance on what these businesses can and cannot do to protect their customers is needed.
As such, our recommendations include:
1. Mobilize a whole-of-government and industry national anti-scam strategy that prioritizes enhanced reporting and collaborative information sharing that can best disrupt scam conglomerates;
2. Leverage technologies designed for both the prevention and remediation of scams;
3. Ensure financial institutions and crypto businesses are incentivized to assist in the prevention of transactions to scams and have appropriate guidance to enable them to do so;
4. Advocate to close gaps in the implementation of AML/CFT standards by FATF members, especially countries that scammers rely on to launder funds defrauded from Americans.
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Chainalysis data and insights on scam activity
Chainalysis publishes an annual Crypto Crime Report that provides a detailed survey of the various types of illicit activity involving cryptocurrencies. In 2025, we estimate that the total amount of cryptocurrency received by illicit actors will be over $154 billion. This number will inevitably increase as we identify more illicit transactions associated with activity in 2025.
In each of the past five years, scam operators received over $12 billion in cryptocurrency payments, and 2025 is estimated to be a record year for cryptocurrency scam revenue. Our data shows at least $14 billion worth of cryptocurrency scammed globally, and we expect that figure will exceed $17 billion as we retroactively identify more scams, based on historical trends.
Overall scam inflows have also surged, particularly through impersonation tactics that saw a staggering 1400% year-over-year growth. While high-yield investment programs (HYIP) and pig butchering remain dominant categories by volume, we're seeing increasing convergence across scam types as fraudsters leverage AI, sophisticated SMS phishing services, and complex money laundering networks to target victims more effectively than ever before.
These tools and services underpinning all manner of scams are paid for with cryptocurrency, including the mass text phishing scam impersonating E-ZPass that targeted millions of Americans in 2025. To pull this off, the Chinese Smishing Triad leveraged software from "Lighthouse," a Chinese-language vendor on Telegram that accepts cryptocurrency in exchange for "phishing for dummies" with hundreds of templates for fake websites, domain setup tools, and features designed to evade detection. The scale of Lighthouse phishing attacks is staggering. In 20 days, approximately 200,000 fraudulent websites created using Lighthouse were used to attract 'well over 1,000,000 potential victims' in at least 121 countries.
Human trafficking is also behind some of the most pernicious scams. Chainalysis collaborates with NonGovernmental Organizations such as the International Justice Mission, which operates in the world's corruption hotspots, including the Golden Triangle, enabling Chainalysis to identify cryptocurrency wallets belonging to crime syndicates operating within specific compounds. These wallets tell of the horrors not only of the scam victims themselves but of the estimated hundreds of thousands of human trafficking victims behind the scam compounds. Chainalysis has previously detailed how we have traced a single ransom payment in cryptocurrency made by a trafficking victim held captive in the KK Park compound in Myanmar to a centralized wallet commingled with hundreds of millions of dollars in scam proceeds. We've now identified cryptocurrency wallets belonging to compounds across multiple countries and continents.
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The International threat: Scam laundering leverages offshore exchanges and Chinese-language money laundering services, with a strong regional nexus to East and Southeast Asia
We not only track the amount of cryptocurrency funds received by scam operators but also where those funds are directed for purposes of laundering or cashing out to fiat currency. In the last few years, centralized exchanges (CEXs) have been the primary destinations for laundering funds from scams; however, Decentralized Exchanges and Chinese Money Laundering Networks (CMLNs) have seen increased adoption among scammers. The regional connection of the scamming syndicates is evidenced by the off-ramping patterns we observe, with a significant portion of the proceeds from pig butchering scams flowing to CMLNs. It is important to note that scam proceeds are largely laundered through overseas entities, reinforcing the effectiveness of the US anti-money laundering regime domestically.
In recent years, CLMNs have emerged as dominant channels for laundering illicit cryptocurrency, including funds stolen through fraud and scams. Guarantee services operate as one-stop shops for illicit actors needing the technology, infrastructure, and resources to conduct scams. They function primarily as marketing venues and escrow infrastructure for these networks. While they provide trust mechanisms for vendors, they don't control the underlying laundering activity. Huione and Xinbi have dominated the market for the past few years, and many other guarantee services continue to operate freely. Many merchants on these platforms put little effort into masking their illicit activities, advertising the types of services they offer using thinly veiled code words. They openly cater to the scam ecosystem by providing technology for facial recognition or facial alteration, targeted data lists for outreach to potential victims, web hosting services, social media accounts and content creation, orchestration of pig butchering and Ponzi schemes, and global passports, visas, and purportedly assisting with applications, and AI software.
Our on-chain analysis continues to show persistent connections between cryptocurrency scams and operations based in East and Southeast Asia. While the Huione Guarantee platform identified in our 2025 report was effectively shut down following FinCEN's 311 designation -- which severed its access to the U.S. financial system -- we've observed expansion of similar operations across the region.
Our analysis reveals that funds originating at U.S. crypto ATMs frequently flow into wallets associated with Southeast Asia-based CMLNs and guarantee services, which serve as key intermediaries in the broader global scam infrastructure. While not all on-chain flows from scams to CMLNs can be traced directly to ATM on-ramps, crypto ATMs remain a critical input for scammers targeting older adults, who are often instructed to convert cash into cryptocurrency at these kiosks before funds are quickly transferred. In this context, actors leveraging crypto ATMs as both payment conduits and loci of fraud increasingly depend on CMLNs to launder and integrate stolen funds into the wider financial system, illustrating how traditional elder fraud has evolved into a transnational, crypto-enabled ecosystem.
Stronger state protections that require owners and operators of crypto kiosks to set transaction limits, inform users of risks, provide receipts, and refund qualifying payments could help prevent older adults from falling prey to certain scams.
The chart below shows the centrality of Southeast Asia to pig butchering scams by examining the 'holiday effect' associated with the Chinese New Year public holiday (7 days at the start of the 15-day new year celebration). Starting around 2022, roughly when Huione began to play a central role in laundering funds from scam compounds such as KK Park, there was a notable reduction in pig butchering scam activity during the 7-day public holiday associated with the Chinese New Year. After the data have been detrended and seasonally adjusted, average daily pig butchering activity drops notably during these short windows. This pattern suggests that the Chinese holiday is associated with a reduction in inflows to pig butchering scams, indicating that actors in East and Southeast Asia play an important role in this scam ecosystem.
Recent enforcement actions against overseas money laundering facilitation networks, including sanctions designations and advisories, have shed light on the national security threat that impacts victims worldwide. These actions include the designation of the Prince Group by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) by HM Treasury in the UK, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)'s Final Rule designating Huione Group as a primary money laundering concern, and FinCEN's advisory on Chinese money laundering networks.
We applaud these actions, but the threat actors are resilient. As with other genres of illicit on-chain activity, actions against guarantee services can be disruptive, but the core networks persist and migrate to alternative channels when challenged. While Huione's guarantee operations were disrupted after Telegram removed some of their accounts, vendors using Huione have continued to use or advertise on alternative platforms, their operations largely uninterrupted. While these hubs continue to connect vendors and buyers, most vendors promote advertisements across platforms and are not reliant on any specific service. As with legitimate e-commerce platforms, service ratings and reviews create accountability within the illicit ecosystem, and vendors often cultivate their market reputation through public attestations of their reliability and service quality.
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The Local Impact: Elderly US citizens are uniquely vulnerable to the threat of scams, and the role that cryptocurrency can play
Scams targeting older adults represent some of the most financially devastating frauds reported in the US. Recent estimates indicate that Americans aged 60 and older lose billions of dollars annually to financial exploitation and fraud, including nearly $4.9 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, more than any other age group, according to AARP and FBI data. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) further underscores this trend: in 2024, individuals aged 60 and older reported $2.8 billion in losses from crypto-related scams, reflecting both the scale and the growing role of digital assets in modern fraud.
While elder fraud encompasses a broad range of schemes, cryptocurrency ATMs have emerged as a notable on-ramp for scams. Reported losses from Bitcoin ATM fraud have risen sharply in recent years, and older victims are disproportionately affected by these kiosk-based conversions. The elderly, who often have significant retirement savings yet limited familiarity with irreversible digital payment methods, remain particularly vulnerable to such tactics.
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AI and professional scamming tools increase scam severity
While generative AI can accelerate legitimate innovation, it can also make scams more scalable and affordable for bad actors. We are rapidly moving toward a future in which virtually all scams will incorporate AI into their operations to some degree. While many scams involve buying AI tools through traditional payment channels, a significant subset buys these tools on-chain, making their transactions visible. Exploring the differences between scams with visible on-chain associations to Chinese AI vendors lets us probe the scale and efficiency of AI.
As depicted below, 76% of AI scams are in the time-weighted high-value/high-volume quadrant. This means that a large majority of scams with demonstrable on-chain links to often Telegram-based Chinese AI vendors selling face-swap software, deepfake technologies, and LLMs tend to (1) scale more quickly (i.e., higher incoming transfer rates) and (2) be more severe (i.e., higher daily USD volumes) than scams without these clear on-chain links to AI vendors.
Our analysis reveals that, on average, scams with on-chain links to AI vendors extract $3.2 million per operation compared to $719,000 for those without an on-chain link -- 4.5 times more revenue per scam. These AI-related operations also demonstrate significantly greater time-weighed efficiency:
* Higher daily revenue: $4,838 vs $518 median daily revenue
* Increased transaction volume: 35.1 vs 3.89 average transfers per day (9x more transaction activity)
These metrics suggest both higher operational efficiency and potentially broader victim reach. The increased transaction volume indicates that AI is enabling scammers to reach and manage more victims simultaneously, a trend consistent with the industrialization of fraud. In contrast, the increased scam volume suggests that AI is likewise making the larger scams more persuasive.
The professionalization of scamming tools is also a force multiplier to execute industrial-scale scams.
Many of these campaigns have a social media angle, given that such platforms provide access to millions of users, and are thus prime targets for sending automated messages. In such cases, scammers may buy bulk social media profiles and use SMS and phishing kits to communicate. Scams leveraging these phishing kits are 688 times more effective in dollar terms and four times more effective in average transaction size than regular scams. Scams that buy bulk social media accounts are likewise 238 times more effective in dollar terms and two times more effective in average transaction value than regular scams.
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Chainalysis data and tools as part of the response
The uniquely transparent manner in which blockchains operate opens up powerful opportunities to gain insights into illicit activity occurring on these networks. However, this data is difficult to access without the right tools, training, and data. Over the past ten years, Chainalysis has become indispensable to the workflows of law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the US and globally, as well as to corporate compliance and risk departments.
The most demonstrable result from this work is the support that Chainalysis has provided on hundreds of cryptocurrency cases since its inception, involving seizures and freezing of assets in partnership with government agencies worldwide, helping secure an estimated $34 billion dollars worth of illicit crypto.1 2025 saw unprecedented law enforcement action against scams, including two of the largest-ever crypto-related law enforcement actions directly connected to scam operations.
The following notable scam-related crypto seizures were only possible due to the transparency of the blockchain and the availability of state-of-the-art tools and data like those Chainalysis provides. These actions mark a shift from reactive victim recovery to systematic dismantling, targeting not just front-line scammers, but also the executives, infrastructure, shell companies, and financial rails that sustain them.
Together, they illustrate a new, more integrated phase in scam enforcement: one focused on breaking the economic backbone of crypto-enabled fraud at scale and across borders, rather than treating scams as local, isolated, or purely digital crimes.
* In October 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed charges against a Cambodian national and Prince Group chairman Chen Zhi for allegedly overseeing Cambodian forced-labor scam compounds that powered large-scale cryptocurrency fraud targeting victims worldwide.
According to prosecutors, these compounds operated as vertically integrated fraud factories: trafficked individuals were coerced into running pig butchering investment scams and romance fraud schemes, laundering proceeds through cryptocurrency to obscure attribution and scale operations globally. Critically, U.S. authorities paired these indictments with large-scale financial disruption, including arrests across transnational money laundering networks and actions to seize and forfeit more than $15 billion in illicit proceeds linked to scam activity.
* In November 2025, the UK's Metropolitan Police secured convictions in a landmark crypto money laundering case that led to the world's largest confirmed cryptocurrency seizure, recovering over 61,000 Bitcoin -- currently valued at around pound sterling5 billion -- from Chinese national Zhimin Qian (also known as Yadi Zhang), who orchestrated a multibillion-pound investment fraud in China that victimized more than 128,000 people between 2014 and 2017.
* Also in November 2025, the U.S. Scam Center Strike Force's success in seizing over $401 million in cryptocurrency demonstrates the effectiveness of blockchain intelligence in taking action against transnational scam operations.
* In August 2025, it was revealed that APAC-based law enforcement froze $47 million in pig butchering funds through collaboration with the private sector, following a similarly successful public-private sector collaboration that resulted in the freeze of $225 million in funds.
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1 "Asset Seizure and Cryptocurrency: How Chainalysis Creates Opportunities for Self-Sustaining Law Enforcement," Chainalysis, Mar. 26, 2025, https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/cryptocurrency-assetseizure/.
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AML compliance and the need for prevention
Chainalysis data and tools are not only integral to public sector operations and seizures but also play an important role in the AML programs of financial institutions, crypto businesses, and a broad swath of private sector businesses motivated to stop scam activity. Chainalysis data is leveraged by cryptocurrency businesses and financial institutions for transaction monitoring, enhanced due diligence, and, when appropriate, enhancing SAR filings.
At Chainalysis, we also think it is imperative to move beyond reactive compliance and fraud workflows and to develop processes to prevent Americans from falling prey to scams altogether. Furthermore, in the same way that we observe criminals adapt to and leverage technological developments to their own ends, so too can we harness and encourage the use of AI technology to help financial institutions and crypto platforms prevent their customers from sending funds to likely scams.
Chainalysis Alterya provides real-time proactive fraud protection for payments and enhanced fraud detection during KYC for exchanges, blockchains, and wallet providers. Alterya has already helped top crypto exchanges decrease fraud by up to 60%, reduce scam-related disputes, and improve the efficiency of manual operations. Alterya utilizes artificial intelligence and other advanced techniques to identify scam activities across various online sources, enabling large-scale early "upstream" detection.
We construct a comprehensive scam social graph that interconnects fraudulent activities across multiple platforms, payment systems, and blockchains. Our adversaries are leveraging AI to rob Americans of their life savings, and we must leverage that very technology to beat them at their own game.
Alterya monitors $23B+ in monthly transactions and helps protect hundreds of millions of users across crypto and fiat payment rails, focusing on recipient side risk and money mule detection, critical for stopping authorized push payment (APP) fraud, where victims are socially engineered into authorizing transfers from their own accounts to criminals. Over the past 12 months, Alterya has prevented more than $300 million in losses by supporting customers in proactively reducing fraud. This is what the future of combating scams looks like.
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Recommendations
We are encouraged that this Committee is considering ways to strengthen the U.S. response to scams and fraud involving cryptocurrency that target older victims. We suggest a multi-pronged approach to address this complex problem, consisting of four key recommendations:
1. Mobilize a whole-of-government and industry national anti-scam strategy that prioritizes enhanced reporting and collaborative information sharing that can best disrupt scam conglomerates;
2. Leverage technologies designed for both the prevention and remediation of scams;
3. Ensure financial institutions and crypto businesses are incentivized to assist in the prevention of transactions to scams and have appropriate guidance to enable them to do so;
4. Advocate to close gaps in the implementation of AML/CFT standards by FATF members, especially countries that scammers rely on to launder funds defrauded from Americans.
Taken together and properly implemented, these recommendations will help limit financial flows to scammers, either by preventing victims from sending funds in the first place or by dismantling the scam operations themselves. Further details on each of these are provided below:
1. Create a national anti-scam strategy to orchestrate a comprehensive response which includes centralizing U.S. victim scam reporting, streamlining coordinated action to dismantle scam conglomerates and return funds to victims, and facilitating information sharing between the public and private sectors.
i. Improved reporting mechanisms
Today, scam victims in America have multiple options for reporting their crimes to federal and local law enforcement. This is one factor contributing to a fragmented approach to combating scams and has hindered our response time and visibility into the true scale of the impact on potential victims, both in the US and abroad.
A centralized reporting database that feeds from state, local, and federal sources is critical to enhancing efficiency and actionable intelligence for cases that lead to the recovery of funds, restitution, and the prevention of additional victims. National coordination could streamline the process of connecting a single victim to a larger scheme that has netted thousands of victims and millions of dollars in funds, optimizing opportunities for disruption, the prospect of returning seized assets to victims, and making scammers less profitable overall. Similarly, Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) are filed by financial institutions, but the crucial information contained in these reports about specific scams is not accessible to other financial institutions or to entities supporting scam prevention. This lack of information sharing creates blind spots and delays in response, enabling scammers to continue their illicit activities unabated.
ii. Prioritizing information sharing and collaboration
Addressing the challenge of crypto-integrated laundering networks demands a coordinated publicprivate partnership and a paradigm shift from reactive enforcement against individual platforms to proactive disruption of the underlying networks. By combining law enforcement's legal authorities with the private sector's technical capabilities and blockchain analytics expertise, the industry can more effectively identify and dismantle these services operating across multiple platforms, jurisdictions, and communication channels. On-chain transparency provides unprecedented visibility into these operations, enabling stakeholders to assess the cost and risk of operating large-scale money laundering services. Future intervention strategies must prioritize this collaborative approach to achieve meaningful, lasting disruption of crypto-integrated laundering networks, including Chinese-language money-laundering operations.
Public-private partnerships are already having success. Chainalysis's Operation Spincaster program was designed to disrupt and prevent scams through public-private collaboration by proactively identifying thousands of compromised wallets.2 This actionable intelligence formed the basis for a series of operational sprints across six countries, including 19 public-sector agencies and 18 crypto exchanges.
Over 7,000 leads were disseminated during these sprints relating to approximately USD $187 million of losses. These leads were used to close accounts, seize funds, and build intelligence to prevent future scams.
Further, Chainalysis is a member of the National Elder Fraud Coordination Center, the first-ever national effort that analyzes and assembles private and public sector data and resources into the investigative packages needed by law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminal fraud rings targeting older Americans. These are examples of how formalized efforts to streamline private-public collaboration can optimize outcomes.
Singapore's Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) serves as a potential model for efficiently combating scams by eliminating silos and working constructively with over 80 private-sector partners. The industry and regulatory bodies must work together to break down these information silos and adopt a more cohesive, collaborative approach to combating cryptocurrency-related scams. This will ensure that the inherent advantages of blockchain technology for tracing and combating financial crime are fully leveraged and that scammers cannot exploit the system due to gaps in communication and information sharing.
The recently announced Scam Center Strike Force and proposed legislation, such as the Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization Act, will help define and execute an international strategy to take on scam compounds globally. This approach should study the scam supply chain holistically and leverage all levers of government, including law enforcement and regulatory actions, to target the entire scam supply chain, from money launderers to gambling syndicates to compounds to phishing kit developers to data brokers.
2. Encourage the adoption of advanced technologies to combat scammers' growing sophistication and to prevent and remediate scams across fiat and digital asset rails.
i. Broaden access to data, tools, and training
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2 "Introducing Chainalysis Operation Spincaster: An Ecosystem-Wide Initiative To Disrupt and Prevent Billions in Losses to Crypto Scams," Chainalysis, Jul. 18, 2024, https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/operation-spincaster/.
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With the broader adoption of cryptocurrency on the rise, including among illicit actors, it is no longer sufficient to confine knowledge of crypto networks to a small group of technical experts. Rather, government agencies and departments must have the resources to ensure that a broad spectrum of personnel receive the latest training on how crypto networks operate, how blockchain analysis can supplement traditional analytical and operational workflows, and what actions can be taken to quickly disrupt illicit fund movements through crypto networks. Too often, victims are turned away from local authorities who are ill-equipped or even uninformed as to how to take on crypto cases. Other times, an individual complaint might not be prioritized if law enforcement doesn't have the analytic tools it needs to connect a low-value scam payment to a larger scam conglomerate that nets tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Furthermore, we must acknowledge that a significant number of scams likely go unreported; however, the transparent nature of the blockchain enables investigators to identify all potential victim payments into a scam and can vastly expand their case with assistance from cryptocurrency businesses.
While the proposed Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception (GUARD) Act would expressly allow federal law enforcement agencies to assist in these cases, we believe this should not replace providing tools and training to state and local agencies so they can help victims in their jurisdictions.
Particular offices within agencies have invested in integrating blockchain analytics into their workflows and achieved significant success, among them IRS Criminal Investigations and the FBI's Virtual Asset Unit. However, the extensive overlap of crypto across many agencies' missions necessitates a broader cohort of agencies and their staff to understand the underlying technology, have access to the same tools, and receive training to encourage more successful outcomes.
ii. Adoption of cutting-edge technology, systems, and tools that move beyond reactive enforcement While the traditional reactive paradigm of enforcement is important, it is not enough for the speed and scale of scams today. The organized crime groups behind scams move quickly and operate in regions that are difficult to access, making real-time prevention mechanisms a vital line of defense. Given these challenges and the sheer volume of victims, some agencies and investigators across the public and private sectors are now turning to advanced proactive detection techniques.
The future of fraud prevention relies on the deployment of novel technologies such as machine learning and AI. Chainalysis Alterya provides financial institutions with the tools to map the entire lifecycle of fraudulent operations, from initial online scam campaigns and money muling to monetization within financial services and subsequent money laundering and cash-out processes through proactive AI-driven solutions. It identifies scammers before they meet their victims, collecting identifying information about the scammers and the fraudulent scheme. This data is then integrated with customers' transaction monitoring platforms, providing real-time analysis of scam exposure and enabling them to identify and track interactions with scam addresses, assess risk, and take preventive measures.
All relevant agencies and law enforcement should also have this opportunity to move decisively upstream and take the fight directly to scammers. In such a scenario, rather than simply investigating reported crimes, the public and private sectors could best leverage real-time blockchain data, DNS data, and AI technology to identify, disrupt, and potentially prevent illicit activity.
For example, Chainalysis Alterya can help agencies transform scattered victim reports into mapped scam campaigns that connect wallets, domains, social accounts, and other identifiers, giving agencies a single source of truth on how a fraud network actually operates. That same network view becomes the foundation for case triage and victim support--analysts can quickly see which victims are linked, what other identifiers to pursue, and where to prioritize investigative resources. This network view can also power supervisory analytics and market wide disruption, enabling agencies to track typologies over time, measure exposure across institutions and rails, and coordinate targeted interventions against the scamming infrastructure that makes these frauds possible in the first place.
Congress should ensure that relevant federal, state, and local agencies have the tools, resources, and legal authorities necessary to: (1) access, analyze, and act on blockchain and other digital intelligence; (2) collaborate effectively with financial institutions, crypto platforms, and other private sector intermediaries; and (3) integrate AI enabled risk detection into their investigative, supervisory, and consumer protection workflows. This combination of AI driven analytics and blockchain intelligence can materially improve our ability to detect, disrupt, and deter scams at scale, while strengthening restitution outcomes for victims and raising the cost of doing business for organized scam networks.
3. Provide guidance to financial institutions and crypto businesses to help them prevent customers from sending funds to scams and intervene when scam-detection technology identifies risk.
Although the technology exists for cryptocurrency businesses and financial institutions to detect when a customer is trying to send funds to a scam wallet, they lack the legal basis to hold a customer's funds.
Even after a crypto business warns a customer that they are trying to send funds to a scam, more often than not, the customer is so duped by the scammers that they will still opt to release their funds to the scammer. The U.S. Government should establish clear, consistent guidelines for how financial institutions and cryptocurrency businesses may intervene when they suspect customers are being targeted by scams, so that firms are not forced to choose between overreaching into consumers' access to their own funds and passively facilitating payments into organized scam networks.
Today, banks and crypto platforms lack standardized expectations and a legal basis around when and how they can slow, block, or scrutinize suspicious transactions, and what forms of customer outreach and friction are appropriate in these scenarios. With better access to data, typologies, and public private information sharing, these institutions would be far better equipped to strike the right balance between consumer protection and customer autonomy. Congress should therefore direct regulators to issue guidance that encourages the use of advanced fraud prevention technologies, such as Chainalysis Alterya, which enable financial institutions and cryptocurrency businesses to detect and prevent likely scam payments in real time. These tools have already demonstrated that they can significantly reduce authorized push payment (APP) fraud losses, lower the volume of customer disputes, and help institutions retain customers by protecting them from devastating financial harm while preserving safe access to their own money.
One solution could be to implement an optional, scams-specific hold on funds, backed by liability protections, that allows stablecoin issuers, cryptocurrency businesses, and financial institutions to temporarily stop suspicious transactions as soon as they or law enforcement identify red flags.
4. Close gaps in AML/CFT standards implementation for FATF members, especially countries that host scam compounds and the services they rely on to launder funds defrauded from Americans.
More capacity building is needed in jurisdictions with weak AML and CFT policies - particularly across Southeast Asia, where scam compounds operated by Chinese transnational criminal organizations and their local partners have become major hubs for large-scale fraud targeting Americans and other victims worldwide. These same networks increasingly rely on Chinese-language money laundering services as key vehicles for laundering the proceeds of these schemes and cycling them back into the global financial system. In the absence of cooperation, more pressure is needed to disrupt the financial networks and the digital asset services flagrantly abusing laws and regulatory norms. Sanctions have proven to be an effective tool, and sustained enforcement actions targeting every facet of the scam supply chain - especially the offshore institutions that defy international norms and AML/CFT processes and standards - would help cut off scam perpetrators and their facilitators from the global financial system.
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Original text here: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/f57529d9-aa4d-34b8-2e16-1c4d42153913/Testimony_Burns%20Koven%2001.14.26.pdf
Cantwell, Colleagues, Call on GAO to Expand MBDA Investigation to Include Potential Violations of Court Orders by Lutnick, Other Administration Officials
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 30, 2026:
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Cantwell, Colleagues, Call on GAO to Expand MBDA Investigation to Include Potential Violations of Court Orders by Lutnick, Other Administration Officials
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.),
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 30, 2026:
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Cantwell, Colleagues, Call on GAO to Expand MBDA Investigation to Include Potential Violations of Court Orders by Lutnick, Other Administration Officials
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.),Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called on the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to expand its investigation into the Department of Commerce's actions to illegally dismantle the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) to include possible violations of federal district court orders and to assess whether Department leadership has taken adequate steps to ensure compliance.
"[N]ew information has come to light indicating Secretary Lutnick and other Department officials may have violated--and may continue to violate--a May 13, 2025, Preliminary Injunction and subsequent November 21, 2025, Permanent Injunction issued by a federal district court ordering the Trump Administration to reverse its actions against the MBDA and restore its personnel and grantmaking capacities," the Senators wrote in a letter to GAO Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown. "Congress has a compelling interest in ensuring executive branch officials comply with court orders guarding against unlawful attempts to dismantle federal agencies like the MBDA, which Congress statutorily authorized and funded on a bipartisan basis."
On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) which purported to eliminate the MBDA and other federal agencies. Despite an earlier commitment from Secretary Lutnick that he would do no such thing, following the EO, the Department proceeded to carry out the illegal dismantling of the MBDA, an agency created and authorized by Congress to promote American entrepreneurs facing historical barriers to small business ownership--helping them innovate, start successful businesses, and create good-paying jobs.
In April 2025, 21 State Attorneys General filed a lawsuit seeking to put a stop to the destruction of the MBDA. In May, the federal district court issued a Preliminary Injunction prohibiting further implementation of the EO and ordering the Department to reverse its dismantling of the agency. In November, a Permanent Injunction ordered the Administration to reverse its actions and restore MBDA's personnel and grantmaking capacities. Instead, the Department has taken several actions, including terminating the funding for at least nine MBDA business centers and sending Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to terminate the last 24 employees still working at the agency.
"Although the Department later rescinded the RIFs after Congress passed legislation requiring it do so and before the district court could rule on whether the Department's actions violated the court's order, the court admonished the Administration 'that it is never acceptable to violate a court order' and warned any such violations may 'warrant further Court action,'" wrote the Senators. "These developments, coupled with the Department's lack of transparency regarding its actions toward the MBDA, raise serious questions about the sufficiency of the Department's protocols for ensuring compliance with the district court's orders and whether Department leadership is violating the court's clear commands."
The full text of the letter is available HERE (https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/B6AD4722-8DC9-42C5-9058-8BD1A66C1B5F) and below.
January 30, 2026
Acting Comptroller Brown:
On June 3, 2025, we requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conduct a comprehensive review of the actions taken by the Department of Commerce (Department) under the leadership of Secretary Howard Lutnick to unilaterally dismantle the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). Since then, new information has come to light indicating Secretary Lutnick and other Department officials may have violated--and may continue to violate--a May 13, 2025, Preliminary Injunction and subsequent November 21, 2025, Permanent Injunction issued by a federal district court ordering the Trump Administration to reverse its actions against the MBDA and restore its personnel and grantmaking capacities. Congress has a compelling interest in ensuring executive branch officials comply with court orders guarding against unlawful attempts to dismantle federal agencies like the MBDA, which Congress statutorily authorized and funded on a bipartisan basis. Accordingly, we request GAO expand its ongoing inquiry to evaluate whether Secretary Lutnick or other Administration officials have violated the court's orders and assess the adequacy of the policies and protocols the Department has implemented, if any, to ensure compliance.
On January 29, 2025, Secretary Lutnick appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and testified he did not support dismantling the MBDA. However, on March 14, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14238, which purported to eliminate the MBDA and other federal agencies. Notwithstanding his testimony, Secretary Lutnick proceeded to unilaterally dismantle the agency--terminating almost all of MBDA's staff and canceling its grant programs. Of the 40 individuals employed at the MBDA before the EO, only five employees remained working at the agency after Secretary Lutnick began implementing the order.
On April 4, 2025, 21 State Attorneys General filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against any further implementation of the EO. As part of that case, an MBDA employee submitted a sworn declaration to the court explaining how the remaining five employees would "not be capable of carrying out MBDA's statutorily mandated functions, administering its existing programs, or spending its appropriated funds" because it was "not possible for five employees to monitor the existing portfolio of grants for waste, fraud, and abuse, or to ensure that they are being used for authorized purposes consistent with the grant award," all of which "requires consistent contact with grantees to monitor and evaluate grantee performance, train, conduct site-visits, and to ensure compliance" with the grants' terms. The MBDA employee also informed the court that "MBDA allowed its contract with Salesforce to expire," making it "particularly difficult" to adequately monitor grants without this management platform.
On May 13, 2025, the federal district court issued a Preliminary Injunction that both prohibited any further implementation of the EO and ordered the Department to reverse its implementation. This included "tak[ing] all necessary steps to restore" MBDA employees "involuntarily placed on leave or involuntarily terminated" and "resum[ing] the processing, disbursement, and payment of already awarded funding" and any "funds previously withheld" to the States due to the EO. Following the district court's order, multiple Senators sent a letter to the Acting Under Secretary for MBDA seeking information about how the agency intended to comply with this Preliminary Injunction--but, consistent with Secretary Lutnick's pattern of stonewalling Congress, the Department has refused to provide any relevant information.
Despite the court's clear order, the Department has taken several actions that appear to violate its terms. First, in a September 2, 2025, letter to the Office of Inspector General, the Acting Director of MBDA Business Centers revealed that the Department had "terminated or discontinued" funding for at least nine MBDA business centers as of August 29, 2025--months after the district court's order took effect. Then, on October 10, 2025, the Department sent Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to the 24 employees who then-remained working at the MBDA stating their positions were being eliminated due to supposed "lack of funding" and because their functions "are not consistent with the Secretary's priorities."
The Department implausibly claimed the RIF--which would eliminate every employee working at the MBDA and leave only one political appointee responsible for carrying out all of the agency's required functions --would "not prevent the Department from fulfilling its statutory obligations." In a sworn declaration, an MBDA employee explained to the court how effectuating these obligations requires "experienced MBDA employees to expend approximately 20 hours per week per grant" and affirmed it is "not feasible that one or two political appointees who lack training and experience in grants management" could carry out those duties. Although the Department later rescinded the RIFs after Congress passed legislation requiring it do so and before the district court could rule on whether the Department's actions violated the court's order, the court admonished the Administration "that it is never acceptable to violate a court order" and warned any such violations may "warrant further Court action."
These developments, coupled with the Department's lack of transparency regarding its actions toward the MBDA, raise serious questions about the sufficiency of the Department's protocols for ensuring compliance with the district court's orders and whether Department leadership is violating the court's clear commands. Therefore, to supplement the review requested in our June 3, 2025 letter, we request GAO also examine and provide a detailed report on the Department's compliance--or lack thereof--with the May 13, 2025, Preliminary Injunction and November 21, 2025, Permanent Injunction issued by the District Court of Rhode Island in State of Rhode Island v. Trump, and any policies or protocols the Department has implemented to ensure its compliance.
Sincerely,
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Original text here: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2026/1/cantwell-colleagues-call-on-gao-to-expand-mbda-investigation-to-include-potential-violations-of-court-orders-by-lutnick-other-administration-officials
Boyle Statement on President Trump's Nomination of Kevin Warsh to Chair the Federal Reserve
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 30, 2026:
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Boyle Statement on President Trump's Nomination of Kevin Warsh to Chair the Federal Reserve
Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement after President Donald Trump announced he will nominate Kevin Warsh to serve as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve:
"Donald Trump has spent months trying to bully the Federal Reserve into serving his political agenda. He has
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 30, 2026:
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Boyle Statement on President Trump's Nomination of Kevin Warsh to Chair the Federal Reserve
Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement after President Donald Trump announced he will nominate Kevin Warsh to serve as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve:
"Donald Trump has spent months trying to bully the Federal Reserve into serving his political agenda. He hasmade clear he wants loyalty to his political whims as the price of serving as Fed Chair. Any nominee must make an unequivocal commitment to protect the Federal Reserve's independence and follow the facts and the data.
Families already face higher costs and a tepid job market because of Trump's reckless economic policies, including tariff taxes that raise prices. Even more political interference in the Fed will only inject more uncertainty and undermine confidence in the economy.
If the President keeps up his political attacks on Chair Powell and Governor Cook, the Senate should not confirm any new Federal Reserve nominees."
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Original text here: https://democrats-budget.house.gov/news/press-releases/boyle-statement-president-trumps-nomination-kevin-warsh-chair-federal-reserve
Boyle Statement on December 2025 Producer Price Index
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 30, 2026:
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Boyle Statement on December 2025 Producer Price Index
Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the December 2025 Producer Price Index (PPI) report, which showed producer prices rose 0.5 percent in December. The report also showed core PPI is up 3.3 percent over the past year:
"This report is a flashing red light:
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania, ranking member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 30, 2026:
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Boyle Statement on December 2025 Producer Price Index
Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02), Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the December 2025 Producer Price Index (PPI) report, which showed producer prices rose 0.5 percent in December. The report also showed core PPI is up 3.3 percent over the past year:
"This report is a flashing red light:prices are rising dramatically and with no end in sight. Trump's tariffs are driving up the price of everyday goods. This economy isn't working for most Americans; it's only working for the mega-rich."
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Original text here: https://democrats-budget.house.gov/news/press-releases/boyle-statement-december-2025-producer-price-index
"Skinny Labels" for Generic Drugs Under Hatch-Waxman Topic of White Paper From CRS
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12700) on Jan. 28, 2026, by legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey:
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"Skinny Labels" for Generic Drugs Under Hatch-Waxman
New "brand-name" drugs are often protected from generic competition by patents. In general, a drug manufacturer intending to market a generic version of a brand-name drug must either wait for those patents to expire or challenge the validity or applicability of the patents in court.
While some drug patents cover the active ingredient itself, other patents
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (TNSLrpt) -- The Congressional Research Service issued the following In Focus white paper (No. IF12700) on Jan. 28, 2026, by legislative attorney Kevin J. Hickey:
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"Skinny Labels" for Generic Drugs Under Hatch-Waxman
New "brand-name" drugs are often protected from generic competition by patents. In general, a drug manufacturer intending to market a generic version of a brand-name drug must either wait for those patents to expire or challenge the validity or applicability of the patents in court.
While some drug patents cover the active ingredient itself, other patentscover different things related to the drug, such as a method of using the drug. When some methods of using a drug are still patented but other uses are not, the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-417) provides a special process to allow limited generic entry before patent expiration. This process--sometimes called Hatch-Waxman's "skinny-label" provisions--allows a generic manufacturer to seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only for approved uses of the drug no longer protected by patents. This In Focus provides background on the skinny-label provisions and issues for Congress relating to skinny labels.
New and Generic Drug Approval
All new drugs must be approved by FDA before they can be marketed or sold in the United States. New drugs are generally approved by FDA through a new drug application (NDA). To obtain FDA approval, NDA sponsors typically conduct clinical trials to demonstrate a drug's safety and effectiveness--a costly and time-consuming process. NDA sponsors must also submit proposed labeling for the drug for FDA's approval, including the approved indications for use of the drug (e.g., the diseases or conditions that the drug is approved to treat). Although FDA approves new drugs for specific indications, physicians may still prescribe an approved drug "off label" to treat other indications that FDA has not reviewed for safety and effectiveness.
To encourage market entry of generic drugs, Hatch-Waxman created a separate pathway for FDA approval through abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs). ANDA filers need only show that their product is pharmaceutically equivalent and bioequivalent to an FDA-approved drug with the same active ingredient (such that the new drug can be expected to have the same therapeutic effect). As a result, generic drug manufacturers need not conduct their own clinical trials on safety and efficacy, and often sell the drug at lower prices. ANDA filers must also propose labeling for the generic drug, which generally must be the same as the referenced brand-name drug's labeling.
Pharmaceutical Patents
Patents are granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to protect new and useful inventions. Patent rights last for about 20 years. If the patent is valid, no one else may make, use, sell, or import the patented invention in the United States during that period without permission from the patent holder. Drug manufacturers may patent a drug's active ingredient, formulations, methods of use (indications), and devices to administer a drug, among other things. A single drug may be protected by multiple patents that expire at different times.
Orange Book Patents and "Use Codes"
An NDA sponsor must submit to FDA information on any patent that either (1) claims the drug (i.e., an active ingredient, formulation, or composition patent) or (2) claims a method of using the drug for which FDA approval is sought.
For method-of-use patents, FDA regulations require the NDA sponsor to include a description of the patent and information on whether the patent claims one or more FDA-approved methods of using the drug. This description must be adequate to assist future ANDA filers in determining whether the patent covers a given approved use (i.e., a drug's indication). The description provided by the NDA sponsor on method-of-use patents is known as a use code. The NDA sponsor must also identify the sections of the proposed drug label that describe the method(s) of use claimed by the patent. If the drug is approved, FDA publishes the patent information and use codes (along with any updates) in a resource known as the "Orange Book." The Orange Book lists all FDA-approved nonbiologic drugs, along with therapeutic equivalence evaluations and information on drug patents and other exclusivities. (For more information, see CRS In Focus IF12644, Patent Listing in FDA's Orange Book.)
FDA views its authority over patent information in the Orange Book as "ministerial." That is, FDA does not independently verify the accuracy of use codes and other patent information; FDA merely publishes it in the Orange Book. NDA sponsors must declare that the patent information they submit is accurate and complete.
ANDAs and Patent Certification
Paragraph I-IV Certifications
Under Hatch-Waxman, ANDA filers must usually make a certification for each patent listed in the Orange Book for the drug at issue. For example, ANDA filers may certify that there are no patents listed for the drug or that all the listed patents are expired. In that case, FDA may approve the ANDA whenever its review is complete.
ANDA filers may also make what is called a paragraph IV certification: a claim that the listed patent is either invalid, or would not be infringed (i.e., violated) by the ANDA filer making and selling the generic drug. Paragraph IV certifications often lead to patent litigation in federal court. If the NDA sponsor timely files suit following a paragraph IV certification, FDA generally cannot approve the ANDA for 30 months while the litigation proceeds (known as the "30-month stay").
Section viii Statements and "Skinny Labels"
Hatch-Waxman provides an additional patent certification option for method-of-use patents. With a section viii statement, an ANDA filer certifies that the patent does not cover the uses of the drug for which the ANDA filer seeks approval. Section viii statements are typically used when some (but not all) approved methods of using the drug are still patented. Through a section viii statement, an ANDA filer may seek FDA approval only for the approved uses of the drug that are not patented. Unlike a paragraph IV certification, a section viii statement does not delay FDA's ability to approve the ANDA (i.e., the 30-month stay does not apply). Along with a section viii statement, the ANDA filer must submit proposed labeling that omits the parts of the brand-name drug's labeling that correspond to still-patented uses identified by the NDA sponsor. For this reason, generics relying on section viii statements are said to "carve out" the patented uses. The result is a skinny label for the generic version.
Challenges to Orange Book Use Codes
The use codes and label portions identified by the NDA sponsor define what the ANDA filer must carve out when using a section viii statement. If the use codes are overly broad (i.e., they extend beyond what a patent actually claims) then an ANDA filer may be unable to use a section viii statement as a practical matter, and may choose to file a paragraph IV certification or wait to file the ANDA.
ANDA filers' ability to challenge the use codes and other patent information provided by NDA holders is limited. While FDA provides a regulatory process to dispute Orange Book patent information, FDA will not change Orange Book patents or use codes unless the NDA holder agrees to update or correct them. In the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MPDIMA) (P.L. 108-173), Congress created a counterclaim allowing ANDA filers to seek a court order correcting or deleting Orange Book patent information. Because the counterclaim is not an independent cause of action, an ANDA filer cannot assert it unless they are sued first (e.g., after a paragraph IV certification).
In Caraco Pharmaceutical Labs. v. Novo Nordisk (U.S. 2021), the Supreme Court construed the scope of this counterclaim that MPDIMA created. The Court unanimously held that the counterclaim could be used by generics to correct inaccurate use codes (e.g., use codes that purport to cover methods not actually protected by patent). Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote separately in Caraco to express her view that action from FDA or Congress is needed to fully "fix" the problem of overly broad use codes.
Skinny Labels and Induced Patent Infringement Liability
Because the brand-name drug is still protected by one or more patents, patients and doctors may use a skinny-label generic in an infringing manner (i.e., for still-patented uses). If a generic manufacturer takes active steps to encourage the "carved out" patented uses, they may be held liable for inducing patent infringement. Recent judicial decisions on patent infringement liability for skinny-label drugmakers have increased concerns by some stakeholders about whether the skinny-label provisions remain effective in facilitating partial generic competition.
In GlaxoSmithKline LLC v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA (Fed. Cir. 2021), the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit) affirmed a jury verdict finding a generic manufacturer liable for inducement even though the manufacturer carved out the label portions identified by the brand's use codes and did not specifically tell doctors to use the generic for carved-out uses. The majority in GSK v. Teva held that a jury could reasonably find that Teva actively induced patent infringement based on the generic's label (which included an infringing indication not identified by the use code), advertising, and press releases. The Supreme Court declined to hear Teva's appeal in 2023.
In Amarin Pharma, Inc. v. Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA (Fed. Cir. 2024), the Federal Circuit reversed a lower court decision that dismissed a complaint alleging induced infringement by a generic manufacturer using a skinny label. The allegations of inducement in that case focused on the skinny label itself and press releases that promoted the skinny-label drug as a "generic equivalent" of the brand-name drug. Following a brief from the U.S. Solicitor General arguing that skinny labels themselves should not "be treated as evidence of culpable encouragement to infringe," the Supreme Court agreed to hear argument in Hikma v. Amarin during its October 2025 term.
Considerations for Congress
Should Congress seek to clarify Hatch-Waxman's skinny-label provisions, there are several possible issues it may consider. One issue concerns responsibility for monitoring and correcting Orange Book use codes and other patent information. The FDA does not independently verify use codes and generic manufacturers have limited means to challenge them, yet inaccurate use codes may interfere with generic drugmakers' ability to effectively use section viii statements. This may lead to litigation and delay in generic approval in some cases. Congress may consider whether to impose more responsibilities on FDA to monitor Orange Book patent information, or to expand current procedures for challenging that information. For example, Congress could consider creating an independent cause of action to correct Orange Book patent information (such as that proposed by S. 1128 in the 118th Congress).
Cases like Hikma v. Amarin and GSK v. Teva make clear that under current law a drug manufacturer may sometimes be liable for inducing patent infringement when marketing skinny label generics. These cases have arguably increased risk and uncertainty for generic manufacturers when using the section viii pathway. Congress may thus consider whether to clarify when generic manufacturers using a skinny label should be liable for indirect patent infringement through a statutory safe harbor (such as that proposed by S. 43 and H.R. 6485 in the 119th Congress).
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The white paper is posted at: https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/IF/PDF/IF12700/IF12700.4.pdf
[Category: CRSCRS]
Barr Announces $1 Million for Rockwell Road Sanitary Sewer Improvements in Clark County
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release:
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Barr Announces $1 Million for Rockwell Road Sanitary Sewer Improvements in Clark County
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Winchester, KY- Today, U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY-06) celebrated the delivery of $1,000,000 in federal funding to support the Rockwell Road Sanitary Sewer Improvements, a critical infrastructure project serving western Clark County.
The project will extend sanitary sewer service to the western portion of unincorporated Clark County, an area that currently lacks access to centralized wastewater infrastructure.
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release:
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Barr Announces $1 Million for Rockwell Road Sanitary Sewer Improvements in Clark County
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Winchester, KY- Today, U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY-06) celebrated the delivery of $1,000,000 in federal funding to support the Rockwell Road Sanitary Sewer Improvements, a critical infrastructure project serving western Clark County.
The project will extend sanitary sewer service to the western portion of unincorporated Clark County, an area that currently lacks access to centralized wastewater infrastructure.In addition, the project will eliminate an existing package treatment plant that is nearing catastrophic failure.
"Reliable wastewater infrastructure is essential to protecting public health, preserving our community, and supporting responsible development," said Congressman Barr. "This investment will provide long-term solutions for Clark County residents while preventing potential system failures that could have severe consequences for the community."
"This project addresses a critical infrastructure need for western Clark County and helps prevent a serious failure that could impact public health and the environment. We are grateful to Congressman Barr for his support in helping our county move this important project forward," said Les Yates, Judge/Executive of Clark County.
"I want thank Congressman Barr for advocating for Clark County and for recognizing the importance of this investment to our region's future. Congressman Barr always delivers for Clark County and Central Kentucky in Congress and that is why he is our champion in Washington," said State Senator Greg Elkins (R-KY-28).
"Reliable wastewater systems are essential to public health, community well-being, and responsible development," said Magistrate Chris Davis. " I thank Congressman Barr for his support of Clark County and for recognizing the long-term value of this investment."
Local officials have identified the Rockwell Road project as a priority due to the aging condition of existing infrastructure and the growing need for dependable sanitary sewer service in the area. By replacing the failing package plant and extending sewer access, the project will reduce the risk of overflows, and improve water quality.
Barr secured the funding through the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026. He voted for the appropriations package earlier this month and President Trump recently signed the funding bill into law.
Permalink: https://barr.house.gov/2026/1/barr-announces-1-million-for-rockwell-road-sanitary-sewer-improvements-in-clark-county
***
Original text here: https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=B56483CB-E6B5-442A-B9BB-68A58FB68C01
Bank Capital Reforms: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Should Clarify Policy for Retaining Documents
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:
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Bank Capital Reforms: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Should Clarify Policy for Retaining Documents
*
Fast Facts
U.S. banking regulators, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), are members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which sets regulatory standards for banks to enhance financial stability.
U.S. banking regulators have policies that generally direct their staff to retain documents that they create or receive during their participation
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (TNSLrpt) -- The Government Accountability Office issued the following report:
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Bank Capital Reforms: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Should Clarify Policy for Retaining Documents
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Fast Facts
U.S. banking regulators, including the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), are members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which sets regulatory standards for banks to enhance financial stability.
U.S. banking regulators have policies that generally direct their staff to retain documents that they create or receive during their participationon the Committee. But OCC's policy doesn't clearly tell staff whether or when to treat such documents as records. We recommended clarifying this policy to help ensure OCC has the documents it needs to support rulemaking and leadership during Committee negotiations.
A magnifying glass next to a folder stamped with the word confidential
Highlights
What GAO Found
To promote global financial stability, U.S. and foreign banking regulators negotiate and develop nonbinding minimum capital standards for banks through the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. U.S. members are the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
The Basel Committee expects members to treat Committee work as confidential. Its internal regulations state that internal discussions and the analyses on which they are based should be kept confidential. It also has a process for collecting sensitive bank data (for assessing the effect of standards on select banks), which requires analysts to sign a confidentiality agreement intended to protect the data. The Committee imposes no penalties for violating these expectations, but could take informal action (e.g., restrict a member's access to information).
U.S. members vary in the extent to which they are subject to the Federal Records Act and have different policies for retaining Basel Committee and related documents as records under the act:
* FRB's policy expressly covers its work on international organizations, including the Committee, and FRB also issued related guidance.
* FDIC's policy does not expressly cover its Committee work, but FDIC officials said the policy applies. FDIC also has a procedure directing staff to document their Committee work to share with leadership.
* OCC's policy does not expressly cover its Committee work. OCC officials said that only documents used as background or working files in rulemaking to implement Basel standards are considered records under their policy.
OCC's policy does not instruct staff whether to treat-and thus retain-Basel Committee or related documents as records under the Federal Records Act when first created or received. The act requires covered agencies to preserve records documenting the organization's functions and decisions and to communicate records management responsibilities to staff. However, OCC has not clarified how to treat Committee and related documents, citing its current policy as sufficient. Taking such action could help OCC ensure staff retain documents needed to support rulemaking, consult leadership during Committee negotiations, and demonstrate accountability.
U.S. members said they process Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for Basel Committee or related records in the same way as other FOIA requests. In 2019-2024, FRB received two FOIA requests related to the Committee and FDIC received one. FRB identified information responsive to the requests but deemed it confidential and therefore exempt from FOIA disclosure. FDIC provided the requested information.
Why GAO Did This Study
In 2025, GAO reported on U.S. participation in the Basel Committee's development of Basel III bank capital standards. U.S. members told GAO that Committee discussions and related information are governed by confidentiality expectations.
GAO was asked to review these expectations and their potential implications. Among its objectives, this report examines the Basel Committee's confidentiality expectations; U.S. members' records retention policies for their Committee work; and U.S. members' processes for handling FOIA requests for Committee or related records.
GAO reviewed Committee and U.S. member documents on confidentiality expectations and associated penalties. GAO assessed relevant records retention policies of U.S. members against provisions in the Federal Records Act and its associated regulations. GAO also reviewed relevant FOIA regulations and data on related requests and interviewed U.S. Committee members.
Recommendations
GAO recommends that OCC revise its records retention policy or issue supplemental guidance to clarify which documents created for or received from the Basel Committee should be treated as records. OCC agreed with the recommendation.
Recommendations for Executive Action
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency The Comptroller of the Currency should revise the agency's current records retention policy or issue supplemental guidance to clarify which documents created for, or received from, the Basel Committee should be treated as records. (Recommendation 1)
Open Actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation have not been taken or are being planned.
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
***
Original text here: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-108015
As Teen Suicide Rises, Senator Moody Introduces Combating Online Predators Act to Protect Children From Sextortion
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Sen. Ashley Brooke Moody, R-Florida, issued the following news release on Jan. 28, 2026:
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As Teen Suicide Rises, Senator Moody Introduces Combating Online Predators Act to Protect Children from Sextortion
Today, as teen suicide rates are on the rise, Senator Ashley Moody announced she is introducing the Combating Online Predators Act to protect children from sextortion. Sextortion is a form of sexual exploitation in which perpetrators threaten to distribute private or sensitive images unless victims comply with demands for additional sexual content, sexual favors,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Sen. Ashley Brooke Moody, R-Florida, issued the following news release on Jan. 28, 2026:
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As Teen Suicide Rises, Senator Moody Introduces Combating Online Predators Act to Protect Children from Sextortion
Today, as teen suicide rates are on the rise, Senator Ashley Moody announced she is introducing the Combating Online Predators Act to protect children from sextortion. Sextortion is a form of sexual exploitation in which perpetrators threaten to distribute private or sensitive images unless victims comply with demands for additional sexual content, sexual favors,or money. Children and teens are particularly vulnerable to these crimes.
Sen. Moody's Combating Online Predators Act explicitly criminalizes intentional threats to distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Under current law, sextortion has fallen outside existing CSAM statutes, forcing prosecutors to rely on patchwork charging theories that fail to reflect the gravity of these crimes.
Senator Ashley Moody said, "As parents of the first generation of online kids, it is important we protect them from the new threats they may face. My Combating Online Predators Act will ensure the monsters who engage in sextortion against our children are put behind bars. Congress needs to get off the sidelines and keep our kids safe, and I won't stop until every perpetrator of this heinous crime is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Stranger danger is happening under your own roof - let's pass my commonsense legislation and end this once and for all."
Congresswoman Laurel Lee said, "Sextortion is a devastating crime that preys on fear, shame, and vulnerability--especially among children. When predators threaten to distribute explicit images of minors, the harm is real and often irreversible. Congress has a duty to ensure our laws keep pace with the tactics used by online predators, and this legislation closes a critical gap to protect children and deliver justice for victims."
Reported sextortion cases in the U.S. has risen sharply--the FBI received nearly 55,000 reports of crimes related to sextortion and extortion, a 59% increase in the reports received a year earlier. Children are particularly vulnerable, with boys aged 14 to 17 most often targeted. In tragic cases, sextortion has led young victims to commit suicide.
Read full bill text here (https://www.moody.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/SIL26150.pdf).
This bill is a companion to legislation introduced by Rep. Laurel Lee (FL-15), that has passed the House.
More...
* As Teen Suicide Rates Rise, Senator Moody Cosponsors Stop Sextortion Act to Protect Kids from Online Predators (https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/news-release-as-teen-suicide-rates-rise-senator-moody-cosponsors-stop-sextortion-act-to-protect-kids-from-online-predators/)
* Attorney General Moody Warns About How AI Can Be Used to Target and Extort Teens (https://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrelease/attorney-general-moody-warns-about-how-ai-can-be-used-target-and-extort-teens)
* Warning About Increase in Sextortion of Minors (https://www.myfloridalegal.com/newsrelease/warning-about-increase-sextortion-minors)
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Original text here: https://www.moody.senate.gov/press-releases/news-release-as-teen-suicide-rises-senator-moody-introduces-combating-online-predators-act-to-protect-children-from-sextortion/
Amo Convenes Local Faith Leaders to Call Out Trump's ICE Attacks and Discuss Protecting Our Communities
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Rep. Gabe Amo, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release:
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Amo Convenes Local Faith Leaders to Call Out Trump's ICE Attacks and Discuss Protecting Our Communities
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Providence, RI - TODAY, Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI-01) hosted Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faith leaders to strategize about how congregations and elected leaders can work together to protect against Trump's violent ICE and Border Patrol invasion of our cities.
"Trump's masked agents are terrorizing our cities, inflicting fear, and inciting chaos, which is antithetical to the lesson of caring
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Rep. Gabe Amo, D-Rhode Island, issued the following news release:
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Amo Convenes Local Faith Leaders to Call Out Trump's ICE Attacks and Discuss Protecting Our Communities
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Providence, RI - TODAY, Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI-01) hosted Muslim, Jewish, and Christian faith leaders to strategize about how congregations and elected leaders can work together to protect against Trump's violent ICE and Border Patrol invasion of our cities.
"Trump's masked agents are terrorizing our cities, inflicting fear, and inciting chaos, which is antithetical to the lesson of caringfor your neighbor that I learned through my Catholic upbringing," said Congressman Gabe Amo (D-RI-01). "We have to stand up for the least among us, which is why I'm grateful to the wise council of these faith leaders who shared what they are doing to protect their communities from Trump's attacks. I renewed my commitment to withhold funding from ICE and Trump's Department of Homeland Security until there is real change and Secretary Noem is impeached and held accountable for her actions."
"Our communities are afraid," Mufti Ikram ul-Haq, Imam of Masjid Al-Islam in Smithfield. "ICE's enforcement actions are terrifying to many I serve. I am grateful to Congressman Amo for convening this group of esteemed faith leaders to hear our concerns and find ways to work together to make sure every Rhode Islander, no matter their background, is safe."
"Thank you to Congressman Amo for leading the fight against ICE violence," said Rabbi Preston Neimeiser. "Our communities are not made safer by their brutal actions, and I look forward to continuing working with Congressman Amo to ensure our Jewish community and every Rhode Islander can live without fear of persecution."
"Caring for our neighbors is at the heart of our faith tradition," said Jeremy Langill, Executive Minister, RI State Council of Churches. "ICE and immigration agents are making our neighbors afraid. We are thankful to Congressman Amo for the conversation and commitment to stopping ICE's abuses."
"Our faith tradition tells us that migration is, as Bishop Lewandowski has said, in our DNA," said Jim Jahnz, Secretary for Catholic Charities and Social Ministry for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence. "We continue to pray and advocate for immigration reform and just policies and procedures. I am grateful that Congressman Amo has brought together fellow faith leaders to discuss how we can achieve our common moral imperative of keeping our neighbors safe."
Background
Congressman Amo, voted no on funding Trump's out of control ICE force and Department of Homeland Security.
He also helped introduce articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to remove her from power and begin the process of holding her accountable for egregious abuses of power resulting in the death of two American citizens at the hands of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
***
Original text here: https://amo.house.gov/press-release/amo-convenes-local-faith-leaders-to-call-out-trump-s-ice-attacks-and-discuss-protecting-our-communities
AFTER CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN'S PETITION TO STOP PROPOSED ICE FACILITY RECEIVES MORE THAN 20,000 SIGNATURES, RYAN RALLIES HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY IN CHESTER: "WE WILL WIN THIS FIGHT"
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Rep. Pat Ryan, D-New York, issued the following news release:
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AFTER CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN'S PETITION TO STOP PROPOSED ICE FACILITY RECEIVES MORE THAN 20,000 SIGNATURES, RYAN RALLIES HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY IN CHESTER: "WE WILL WIN THIS FIGHT"
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After Congressman Pat Ryan's Petition to Stop Proposed ICE Facility Receives More than 20,000 Signatures, Ryan Rallies Hudson Valley Community in Chester: "We Will Win This Fight"
Today, Congressman Pat Ryan joined hundreds of community members in Orange County to rally against the Trump Administration's proposal for an
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 -- Rep. Pat Ryan, D-New York, issued the following news release:
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AFTER CONGRESSMAN PAT RYAN'S PETITION TO STOP PROPOSED ICE FACILITY RECEIVES MORE THAN 20,000 SIGNATURES, RYAN RALLIES HUDSON VALLEY COMMUNITY IN CHESTER: "WE WILL WIN THIS FIGHT"
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After Congressman Pat Ryan's Petition to Stop Proposed ICE Facility Receives More than 20,000 Signatures, Ryan Rallies Hudson Valley Community in Chester: "We Will Win This Fight"
Today, Congressman Pat Ryan joined hundreds of community members in Orange County to rally against the Trump Administration's proposal for anICE facility in Chester; facility would be part of a larger ICE plan to house 80,000 immigrants in warehouses across the country (link is external)
Congressman Pat Ryan immediately sounded the alarm, releasing this petition (link is external) in opposition to the proposed facility; Ryan's petition - which can still be accessed here (link is external) - amassed more than 1,000 signatures its first day, and has gotten more than 20,000 signatures to date with support continuing to grow
Ryan has sponsored articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Noem (link is external), submitted evidence of widespread community backlash to DHS last week, and voted against funding DHS's continued ICE operations citing un-American, illegal actions in cities across the country
Especially after ICE murdered another American citizen - a VA nurse - in Minnesota, and as ICE agents are given the green light to unconstitutionally and illegally come into people's homes, Ryan is rallying the entire Hudson Valley community to make their voices heard
CHESTER, NY - Today, Congressman Pat Ryan was joined by hundreds of local leaders, advocates, and Hudson Valley community members to rally against the Trump Administration's proposal to open an ICE detention center in Orange County.
The proposed facility would use a vacant warehouse in Chester, NY as part of a larger Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plan to house 80,000 migrants in warehouses nationwide.
Ryan and local leaders, receiving no warning or information from the Administration, immediately sounded the alarm. Ryan released a petition to the entire Hudson Valley community opposing the proposal, which amassed more than 1,000 signatures on Day 1 and 20,000 signatures to date as support continues to grow.
Last week Ryan submitted initial evidence of widespread community backlash to the proposal, sending anonymized survey results to DHS. ICE responded, refusing to provide any answers or additional information citing the "heightened threat environment" and "unprecedented opposition being thrown up by the Left."
Ryan has also sponsored articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and voted against funding DHS's continued ICE operations, citing un-American, illegal actions in cities across the country. Now, especially after ICE murdered another American citizen - a VA nurse - in Minnesota, and as ICE agents have been given the green light to illegally enter people's homes, Ryan is rallying the entire Hudson Valley community to continue making their voices heard.
"In just two weeks, tens of thousands of members of our community have made their voices heard, loud and clear: the Hudson Valley strongly rejects the Trump Administration's plans for a mass detention camp in our own backyard. It's shameful, un-American, and the exact opposite of everything our community stands for," said Congressman Pat Ryan. "The President promised to focus on deporting violent criminals, but instead we're seeing innocent civilians harassed, detained, and even killed. Now they're claiming they can enter Americans' homes without warrants - a blatant violation of the Constitution. The power to keep ICE from moving in, terrorizing our neighbors, and making us all less safe is in our hands. So let's show ICE, DHS, and Kristi Noem exactly what the Hudson Valley is made of as we stand together on the side of justice, accountability, and humanity. Together, we will win this fight."
"Now more than ever we need to exercise our 1st Amendment right to speak out and protest any ICE presence from coming to Chester and the Hudson Valley at large," said Town of Chester Supervisor Brandon Holdridge. "The state, country, and world needs to know we do not support this facility, we do not support their abuses of power, and we do not support their acts of violence."
"The proposal to turn a warehouse in the Village of Chester into an ICE detention center is illegal, immoral, and inhumane. People must not be warehoused," said Richard Witt, Executive Director of Rural & Migrant Ministry. "RMM stands firmly with our immigrant neighbors, and we celebrate their humanity and the profound contributions they make to our community, our state and our country. We urge our lawmakers not only to condemn this proposal, but to take ACTION against the shameful policies of ICE and this Administration."
"An ICE facility in Chester-or anywhere in Orange County-is not something I can support," said Laurie Tautel, Orange County Legislature Chairwoman. "Our residents deserve to live without fear, and our local governments should be focused on policies that build trust, protect families, and support the well-being of our communities. This proposal moves us in the opposite direction."
"As a first-generation daughter of immigrants and representative of a largely immigrant community, I want to be clear: opposing an ICE detention facility is necessary, but it is not enough," said County Legislator and Democratic Caucus Leader Genesis Ramos. "Immigrant families are living in fear, hurting our neighbors, our local economy, and family-run businesses. We must stand against this proposal and show up for our immigrant community. I urge residents across our region to take action now, sign the petition, join the rally, and help stop this harmful proposal. Our community's dignity and safety depend on it."
"ICE has crossed a line. What's happening in Minnesota has not just claimed innocent lives, it has divided families, endangered residents, and put all our communities at risk. The Federal government's proposed ICE facility in Chester is an 80,000 square/foot affront to our values as Americans," said Yvette Valdes-Smith, Dutchess County Legislature Chairwoman. "In the Hudson Valley, we believe in treating our neighbors with dignity and respect. Everyone, regardless of their immigration status, deserves due process under the law. As elected officials and residents, we oppose this facility and the rising tide of violence against law-abiding immigrants and innocent bystanders. Not in our name."
"The Ulster Immigrant Defense Network ("UIDN") opposes building an immigration detention facility in Chester, NY.," said Victor Cueva, UIDN Executive Director. "Detention centers are places where there have been reported inhumane conditions for immigrants, and many reported deaths. We do not support the continued dehumanization of community members through ICE enforcement actions and detention."
Community members are encouraged to sign this petition (link is external) in opposition to the proposed facility.
***
Original text here: https://patryan.house.gov/media/press-releases/after-congressman-pat-ryans-petition-stop-proposed-ice-facility-receives-more
BREAKING: Warnock Secures Additional $192 Million in Outstanding Helene Payments for Georgia
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Sen. Raphael G. Warnock, D-Georgia, issued the following news release:
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BREAKING: Warnock Secures Additional $192 Million in Outstanding Helene Payments for Georgia
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Latest round of reimbursements comes after months of pressure from Senator Reverend Warnock and as Georgia communities were preparing for lawsuits from contractors seeking payment for work done in the wake of Hurricane Helene
News comes after December 2025 announcement that Senator Warnock secured $300 million in outstanding Helene payments for Georgia
In September 2025, Senator Warnock released
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Sen. Raphael G. Warnock, D-Georgia, issued the following news release:
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BREAKING: Warnock Secures Additional $192 Million in Outstanding Helene Payments for Georgia
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Latest round of reimbursements comes after months of pressure from Senator Reverend Warnock and as Georgia communities were preparing for lawsuits from contractors seeking payment for work done in the wake of Hurricane Helene
News comes after December 2025 announcement that Senator Warnock secured $300 million in outstanding Helene payments for Georgia
In September 2025, Senator Warnock releaseda report finding the Trump Administration was shortchanging Georgians half a billion dollars in disaster relief aid
Following the Senator's September report, the Senator found the number increased to $600 million
Senator Warnock will continue fighting until the administration delivers Georgia every penny they were promised
Senator Warnock: "I am thrilled to announce I have secured an additional $192 million in federal funding owed to Georgia communities recovering from Hurricane Helene"
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) announced he secured an additional $192 million in federal funding for outstanding payments owed to Georgia counties and entities in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The money was released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) following months of pressure from Senator Warnock to get Georgia communities, particularly in rural parts of the state, the money they were promised for recovery efforts following Helene's destruction. The latest round of reimbursements comes after a December 2025 announcement that Senator Warnock secured $300 million in outstanding Helene payments for Georgia.
"I am thrilled to announce I have secured an additional $192 million in federal funding owed to Georgia communities recovering from Hurricane Helene. Hurricanes and natural disasters are not political; they do not care if you voted red or blue, and Georgia counties and cities went right to work recovering from Helene's destruction with the understanding the federal government would fulfill its promises and pay their share," said Senator Warnock. "It should not have gotten to this point, and there is still more work to be done. I will continue fighting until Georgia's communities, particularly in rural Georgia, get every cent they are owed."
In December 2025, Senator Warnock released a statement after new evidence emerged showing that the Trump Administration owed $600 million in Hurricane Helene recovery aid to Georgians. That same month, Senator Warnock announced he secured $314 million in federal funding for outstanding payments owed to Georgia counties and entities in the wake of Hurricane Helene. In September 2025, the Senator released a report finding that nearly $500 million in promised federal funding for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts remained unpaid. The funding, part of a disaster recovery bill championed by Senator Warnock in 2024, is meant to reimburse local communities for funds spent on recovery. Despite bipartisan Congressional support for the immediate delivery of disaster recovery funds, the distribution of aid has been stifled by bureaucratic red tape and chaos in the Trump Administration.
A list of Georgia counties and entities receiving federal funding can be found below (this is not a comprehensive list of entities receiving funding):
Locality/Entity Funding Amount
Georgia Department of Transportation $78,292,950.89
Appling County $1,071,758.62
Augusta-Richmond County $4,037,671.15
Burke County $6,588,740.61
Clinch County $2,599,287.01
Coffee County $4,700,298.24
Columbia County $16,638,536.90
Emanuel County $11,305,015.82
Irwin County $2,247,042.63
Jefferson County $10,494,968.61
Lowndes County $3,364,859.16
***
Original text here: https://www.warnock.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/breaking-warnock-secures-additional-192-million-in-outstanding-helene-payments-for-georgia/
Blumenthal, Murray, Schumer & Committee Democrats Introduce CRA to Overturn Trump Administration Rule Ending Life-Saving Abortion Care for Veterans
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news on Jan. 27, 2026:
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Blumenthal, Murray, Schumer & Committee Democrats Introduce CRA to Overturn Trump Administration Rule Ending Life-Saving Abortion Care for Veterans
Senators roll out Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Trump VA's new policy ending abortion care and counseling for veterans
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Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Leader
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news on Jan. 27, 2026:
* * *
Blumenthal, Murray, Schumer & Committee Democrats Introduce CRA to Overturn Trump Administration Rule Ending Life-Saving Abortion Care for Veterans
Senators roll out Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Trump VA's new policy ending abortion care and counseling for veterans
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Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic LeaderChuck Schumer (D-NY) and Committee Democrats today introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn the Trump Administration's new rule ending abortion counseling entirely and abortion care for veterans who have been raped or whose pregnancy is threatening their health.
"The Trump VA's new policy's primary purpose is to prevent women who are victims of rape or incest or whose health is at risk from receiving abortion care. We cannot let the Trump Administration deprive women veterans of essential health care so they can score cheap political points. Our Congressional Review Act resolution aims to overturn this cruel, misguided action. If my Republican colleagues really believe in protecting women veterans who have been raped or whose health is at risk, they can prove it-- simply support this resolution," said Ranking Member Blumenthal.
"Trump's VA abortion ban is a profound betrayal of women who put their lives on the line for our country--ripping away access to abortion care even when a woman is raped or her pregnancy endangers her health. If the Trump administration thought they could quietly implement this extreme abortion ban and get away with it, they thought wrong--we won't stop being loud about this. Trump's policy not only rips away VA's already-limited ability to provide abortion care, but it gags VA providers from even talking to their veteran patients about their health care options. It does not get more extreme than this. I hope every Senator will join me in fighting to overturn Trump's abortion ban at VA and restore essential health care for our veterans," said Senator Murray.
"The Trump administration seems hellbent on abandoning our veterans by withholding lifesaving health care. But Senate Democrats will not let this happen without a fight," said Leader Schumer. "The rule by the Trump administration is just another cruel step toward their clear, extreme goal of a national abortion ban, an idea that is way out of step with the American people. This CRA gives senators the opportunity to support the health and safety of the servicemembers who sacrifice to keep our country safe," said Leader Schumer.
The joint resolution is cosponsored by Committee members U.S. Senators Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Angus King (I-ME), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).
The CRA is also endorsed by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Vet Voice Foundation, Minority Veterans of America, Common Defense and twelve other organizations dedicated to protecting the rights and freedoms of our nation's veterans, including Modern Military Association of America, Service Women's Action Network, Reproductive Freedom for All, National Partnership for Women & Families, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, American Society for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Reproductive Rights, Guttmacher Institute, National Council of Jewish Women, National Women's Law Center Action Fund, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Power to Decide.
"The VA exists to serve all who served, including women in need of abortion counseling in extenuating circumstance. With nearly 70% of our members overwhelmingly supporting women veterans' access to care post-Dobbs, IAVA applauds the CRA action taken in both the House and Senate, which would ensure that timely and necessary care is continued," said Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, CEO of IAVA.
"After all that veterans have sacrificed to defend our freedoms, it is appalling to strip them of the right to make their own health care decisions. We applaud every lawmaker who signed onto this resolution condemning the rule to ban abortion care and counseling at the VA, including in cases of rape or incest, and we urge both chambers to act swiftly to overturn this extreme policy that puts veterans' health and safety at risk," said the group of twelve organizations.
"Veterans were promised care, dignity, and respect when they raised their right hand to serve. This decision breaks that promise. Stripping veterans of access to abortion care and even basic medical counseling is cruel, medically dangerous, and fundamentally dishonest. Veterans, especially women veterans, face higher rates of complicated and high-risk pregnancies because of their service. Denying them full, evidence-based reproductive healthcare is not about protecting life, it is about imposing ideology at the expense of veterans' health and autonomy. The VA exists to serve veterans, not to make their most personal medical decisions for them," said Janessa Goldbeck, CEO, Vet Voice Foundation.
"With the stroke of a pen, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) increased the risk of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity by reducing veterans' access to basic, necessary, and life-saving reproductive health care. The removal of abortion care and counseling places veterans at further risk, particularly women and gender-diverse veterans who have already sacrificed their health in service to this country. These actions are not merely administrative or ideological policy shifts; they are dangerous barriers to essential medical care. To uphold its mission to serve those who have served, the VA must withdraw this policy. Abortion care and counseling are not simply about choice, they are matters of health, human rights, and survival. Preserving access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care is essential to honoring the service, sacrifices, and dignity of women and minority veterans," said Lindsay Church, Executive Director of Minority Veterans of America.
"The Department of Veterans Affairs banning reproductive healthcare is a profound betrayal of those who have sacrificed for our country. By eliminating comprehensive healthcare access, that veterans have earned, this ban disregards the overwhelming public opposition demonstrated by thousands of comments, many made by Common Defense members. It's essential that Congress overturn this ban and prioritize the health and well-being of our veterans. Our service members deserve better than this callous erosion of their rights," said Naveed Shah, Political Director of Common Defense.
This CRA follows a new final rule filed by the Trump Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to end VA's ability to provide these services to veterans. A CRA resolution is an oversight tool Congress can use to overturn final rules issues by federal agencies with a simple majority vote. House Veterans' Affairs Committee Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health Julia Brownley (D-CA) and Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA) also introduced a companion CRA resolution in the House to overturn this rule.
In September 2022, VA began to offer abortion counseling to all pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries, and abortion in cases of rape, incest, or life or health endangerment of the veteran or CHAMPVA beneficiary. This was in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, which created urgent risks to the lives and health of pregnant veterans and CHAMPVA beneficiaries in states that banned or otherwise severely restricted access to abortion.
Prior to the publication of the final rule, the Trump Department of Justice issued a memo banning this abortion care and counseling at VA, and the Trump VA issued its own internal memo implementing this new policy immediately. This follows the Trump VA's announcement in August of its intent to issue this change in a proposed rule.
More than 462,000 women veterans of reproductive age are enrolled in VA health care, and more than 112,000 women of reproductive age are enrolled in CHAMPVA. More than half of these women live in states that have enacted abortion bans or restrictions.
The full text of the CRA resolution can be found HERE (https://www.veterans.senate.gov/services/files/FE366B45-2A67-4848-8BA2-7111EF670E47).
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Original text here: https://www.veterans.senate.gov/2026/1/blumenthal-murray-schumer-committee-democrats-introduce-cra-to-overturn-trump-administration-rule-ending-life-saving-abortion-care-for-veterans
Barr Announces $1 Million in Federal Funds to Modernize Lancaster Wastewater System
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release:
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Barr Announces $1 Million in Federal Funds to Modernize Lancaster Wastewater System
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Lancaster, KY- U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY-06) announced $1,000,000 in federal funding to support wastewater system improvements for the City of Lancaster. Barr secured the funding through the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026. He voted for the appropriations package earlier this month and President Trump recently signed the funding bill
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Andy Barr, R-Kentucky, issued the following news release:
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Barr Announces $1 Million in Federal Funds to Modernize Lancaster Wastewater System
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Lancaster, KY- U.S. Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY-06) announced $1,000,000 in federal funding to support wastewater system improvements for the City of Lancaster. Barr secured the funding through the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026. He voted for the appropriations package earlier this month and President Trump recently signed the funding billinto law.
This project will modernize Lancaster's wastewater collection system, alleviate overloading in critical portions of the network, and take failing pump stations offline. These improvements will prepare the city for significant economic growth on the northwest side of town, ensuring the city's infrastructure can support new development while maintaining safe and reliable wastewater services.
"Thanks to President Trump signing this funding into law, Lancaster is getting the investment it needs to modernize its wastewater system and support future growth," said Congressman Barr. "I fought to secure this funding because infrastructure matters, jobs matter, and Kentucky communities deserve results."
City officials have emphasized the importance of the project to address aging infrastructure and plan for future development. Once completed, the upgrades will reduce system failures, improve service reliability, and support the city's long-term growth and economic development goals.
"Congressman Barr didn't just support this project -he made it a priority," said Judge/Executive Chris Elleman. "Because of his leadership, Lancaster is receiving the funding needed to fix aging infrastructure, take failing pump stations offline, and prepare our community for future development."
"We are extremely thankful to Congressman Barr for his leadership and support in securing this funding," said Lancaster Mayor Michael Gaffney. "This project will modernize our wastewater system, take failing pump stations offline, and position our city for future growth, benefiting residents and businesses alike."
"This is great news for Lancaster, and I appreciate the work Congressman Barr put into making this happen. Water and wastewater infrastructure is a major priority for our area and this funding will go a long way towards keeping sewer and wastewater services safe and reliable," said Kentucky Speaker Pro Tempore David Meade (R-KY-80).
"Congressman Barr's unwavering commitment to his constituents is exemplified by his advocacy for infrastructure projects that drive economic development, promote health and safety, and improve the overall quality of life for all communities he represents, both urban and rural," said Jeff VanHook, Executive Director of the RGL Regional Industrial Authority.
"Lancaster-Garrard County expresses its sincere appreciation for Congressman Barr's efforts in securing these funds," said Anthony Roy, Chairman of the Industrial Development Authority. "Congressman Barr's support for Mayor Gaffney's forward-thinking approach to infrastructure improvements is a testament to his dedication to a better future for Lancaster/Garrard County. Over the past several months, the IDA Board, Mayor Gaffney, and Judge Elleman have engaged in discussions regarding the necessity of replacing the two oldest pumping stations with new ones and replacing approximately 10,000 feet of old clay sewer line with new PVC. This will enable the county to prepare for future growth opportunities once the bypass is complete and sewer services are expanded into northern Garrard County. We are fortunate to have the support of Congressman Barr aligned with Judge Elleman, Mayor Gaffney, and the members of the IDA board, whose vision for expanding and improving the wastewater system will provide a great opportunity to attract more businesses to Garrard County in the future."
The project reflects a commitment to long-term infrastructure improvement, economic development, and public health, ensuring Lancaster is prepared for growth while maintaining reliable services for all residents.
Permalink: https://barr.house.gov/2026/1/barr-announces-1-million-in-federal-funds-to-modernize-lancaster-wastewater-system
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Original text here: https://barr.house.gov/press-releases?ID=2E95CFFA-513B-4542-9C4B-2F3EC1F4B5FB
Antifa Extremist Who Threatened To Kill Congresswoman Mace Now Charged With Attempted Murder
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release:
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Antifa Extremist Who Threatened To Kill Congresswoman Mace Now Charged With Attempted Murder
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (Jan. 28, 2026) -Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) today issued the following statement after learning a transgender named "Rem Heathen" whose real name is Michael Richard Fadich, the Antifa violent extremist who posted a death threat against Rep. Mace in May 2025, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in Oregon:
In May 2025, Fadich posted a graphic on Instagram depicting
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, issued the following news release:
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Antifa Extremist Who Threatened To Kill Congresswoman Mace Now Charged With Attempted Murder
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CHARLESTON, S.C. (Jan. 28, 2026) -Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01) today issued the following statement after learning a transgender named "Rem Heathen" whose real name is Michael Richard Fadich, the Antifa violent extremist who posted a death threat against Rep. Mace in May 2025, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in Oregon:
In May 2025, Fadich posted a graphic on Instagram depictinga gun pointed directly at Rep. Mace's face. The message was unmistakable: he wanted her dead.
The Office of Rep. Mace reported this threat. Prosecutors did nothing. Now, eight months later, he is charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting someone in Portland just last month. A man is in the hospital because the system failed to stop a violent extremist when it had the chance.
Now Fadich, because of Oregon law, sits in a women's prison.
"This blood is on the hands of every prosecutor who looked at this threat and looked away," said Rep. Mace. "I pray for the safety of the women he's housed with."
Fadich didn't hide who he was. His social media was filled with Antifa / Trantifa propaganda, celebrations of violence, and explicit threats. He posed with Antifa flags. He owned an AR-15 and multiple handguns. Every warning sign was there. Nothing was done.
When prosecutors ignore death threats, they don't just fail one victim, they create more.
Rep. Mace receives on average over 1,300 threats per year. Rep. Mace added:
"When prosecutors do their job, lives are saved. For example, Samuel Cain sits in a jail cell today and has been denied bond three times after threatening to kill me. But when they fail, like with Fadich, innocent people pay the price.
"I am asking the Department of Justice and FBI to immediately investigate why federal prosecutors failed to act on one more death threat against me and to determine whether Fadich should face federal charges for threatening a Member of Congress.
"To every prosecutor who declined to act: you had the chance to stop this man, and you didn't. And someone took a bullet for it.
"To the violent extremists: your threats won't silence us."
BACKGROUND
The Threat Against Congresswoman Mace:
In May 2025, Fadich posted an image on his Instagram account ("that.heathen") depicting Congresswoman Mace's official portrait with a first-person graphic of a gun pointed at her face. The threat was reported to law enforcement, but prosecutors declined to prosecute.
See the post below:The Attempted Murder:
On December 21, 2025, Fadich and an accomplice allegedly shot a man in Portland, Oregon. The victim was found with gunshot wounds in a parking lot and transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Police seized an AR-15-style rifle and two semi-automatic pistols at the scene.
Fadich fled to California but was arrested on January 8, 2026, at a gas station in Mt. Shasta. He has been charged with:
\- Attempted Murder
\- First-Degree Assault
\- Second-Degree Assault
\- Unlawful Use of a Weapon (2 counts)
\- Coercion
Fadich's Extremist Background:
According to reports, Fadich is a member of an Antifa cell in Portland with a years-long history of militant involvement. His social media accounts contain Antifa propaganda, celebrations of political violence, and threats against elected officials and journalists. He has been photographed posing in front of Antifa flags and has connections to the terrorist group Antifa International.
READ MORE HERE. (link is external)
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Original text here: https://mace.house.gov/media/press-releases/antifa-extremist-who-threatened-kill-congresswoman-mace-now-charged-attempted
Allen Announces Hearing on Adopting AI at Work
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 27, 2026:
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Allen Announces Hearing on Adopting AI at Work
Tuesday, at 10:15 a.m., the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA), will hold the second hearing in a series examining artificial intelligence, titled "Building an AI-Ready America: Adopting AI at Work."
What:
Subcommittee hearing titled "Building an AI-Ready America: Adopting AI at Work"
When:
10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, February
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Michigan, chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 27, 2026:
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Allen Announces Hearing on Adopting AI at Work
Tuesday, at 10:15 a.m., the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, chaired by Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA), will hold the second hearing in a series examining artificial intelligence, titled "Building an AI-Ready America: Adopting AI at Work."
What:
Subcommittee hearing titled "Building an AI-Ready America: Adopting AI at Work"
When:
10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, February3, 2026
Where:
2175 Rayburn House Office Building
Press:
The hearing is open to the press and will be live-streamed on the Committee's YouTube page.
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Original text here: https://edworkforce.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=413047
Cantwell, Duckworth, Warner, Markey & Shaheen Reintroduce Legislation to Review and Strengthen FAA's Safety Management System to Ensure Agency Comprehensively Identifies and Corrects Safety Risks
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 27, 2026:
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Cantwell, Duckworth, Warner, Markey & Shaheen Reintroduce Legislation to Review and Strengthen FAA's Safety Management System to Ensure Agency Comprehensively Identifies and Corrects Safety Risks
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill,), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, issued the following news release on Jan. 27, 2026:
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Cantwell, Duckworth, Warner, Markey & Shaheen Reintroduce Legislation to Review and Strengthen FAA's Safety Management System to Ensure Agency Comprehensively Identifies and Corrects Safety Risks
U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill,), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation,Mark Warner (D-Va.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 to improve the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) safety oversight and its ability to identify and address aviation safety issues.
"The FAA must ensure that its own safety management system (SMS) is working well if the agency is going to properly oversee the SMSs of those it regulates," said Sen. Cantwell. "Following years of weak oversight which contributed to the DCA mid-air collision, the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door-plug incident, and the Ethiopian and Indonesian crashes, it's past time to bring in outside safety experts to examine and recommend how FAA can create an agency-wide SMS to be most effective in identifying and correcting safety risks to prevent future incidents."
"From the deadly DCA crash to the spike in near misses and air traffic control equipment outages, there are too many alarm bells ringing that we must strengthen safety in our aviation system," said Sen. Duckworth. "It's the FAA's job to keep the flying public safe, so it only makes sense that the FAA should be held to the highest standard of safety when it comes to its own policies and procedures. Our bill seeks to ensure that the FAA is optimizing effectiveness in its work to strengthen aviation safety and protect passengers and crew."
"As we approach the one-year mark of the mid-air collision between American Airlines flight 5342 and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan Airport, it is our responsibility as legislators to make sure that nothing like that tragic crash ever happens again," said Sen. Warner. "This bill creates an independent, expert-driven process to identify system-wide safety improvements so that they can be addressed in order to prevent another tragedy."
"Increasingly frequent near-misses and close calls over the last several years--coupled with recent aviation tragedies--are important reminders that we must do more to keep our skies safe, and that all starts at the top with the FAA," said Sen. Shaheen. "By establishing an independent panel of experts to make recommendations for an agency-wide safety management system, our legislation would address long-standing concerns at FAA and help keep the flying public safe."
The bill directs the FAA to establish an independent expert review panel to make recommendations for a comprehensive, integrated and effective FAA safety management system (SMS) to better predict, manage and mitigate safety risks across the agency.
In his response to the Committee following his nomination hearing, FAA Administrator Bedford expressed support for Ranking Member Cantwell's longstanding push to ensure a stronger, and more integrated FAA-wide SMS. Administrator Bedford has also expressed support for a stronger FAA SMS as part of FAA's Flight Plan 2026.
In its preliminary report following the January 29, 2025 mid-air collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a regional commercial jet operating as American Airlines flight 5342 that took the lives of 67 people, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found the FAA failed to act appropriately in response to safety data pointing to over 15,000 near misses between helicopter and commercial fixed-wing aircraft at DCA during the approximately three-year period leading up to the tragedy.
This has spurred enhanced scrutiny of the efficacy of FAA's own SMS and whether individual SMS at safety-critical FAA offices - including the Air Traffic Organization and the Aviation Safety Organization - are effective in identifying and correcting safety issues. The expert review panel created by this legislation would examine FAA's agency-wide SMS as well as the individual SMS of these key FAA offices. The bill would also direct the panel to evaluate the efficacy of FAA employee voluntary safety reporting systems, a key component of a healthy SMS, and a subject highlighted by air traffic controllers during last summer's NTSB's investigative hearings on the January 29 mid-air collision, who voiced concerns about their ability to flag safety issues.
"Senator Cantwell has long understood the importance of an effective safety management system at the FAA, and the NTSB's presentation today underscored why. The record showed that vital safety information existed but was not consistently acted on--reflecting failures in both systems and safety culture. The American people deserve an FAA that identifies risk and acts before tragedy, not after. If a functioning safety management system had been in place, our loved ones might be alive today." - Families of Flight 5342
"In December, we spoke with FAA Administrator Bedford about his plans to consolidate safety teams and systems across the agency. The FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 complements that critical work. We commend Senator Cantwell's continued leadership and strongly support her efforts to advance a robust, FAA-wide Safety Management System." - Tim & Sheri Lilley, parents of Flight 5342 first officer Sam Lilley
"Safety Management Systems have proven to be an effective tool in aviation, and are now required across the aerospace industry, from airlines to manufacturers. This bill helps ensure that the FAA itself is has an effective SMS that is able to work and interface with its industry counterparts for the benefit of the flying public." - Dr. Javier De Luis, Lecturer, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Organization Designation Authorizations (ODA) Expert Panel Member
"I enthusiastically support this legislation and believe it addresses critical gaps in the FAA's safety management framework. The bill's comprehensive scope reflects a sophisticated understanding of SMS implementation challenges." - Dr. Najmedin Meshkati, Professor Civil/Environmental Engineering; Industrial and Systems Engineering; USC Aviation Safety and Security Program University of Southern California, Organization Designation Authorizations (ODA) Expert Panel Member
"Frontline aviation maintenance professionals are the backbone of aviation safety. The FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 reinforces the principle that safety management systems must be trustworthy and dependable for the professionals on the frontlines. When technicians are empowered to report hazards without fear of reprisal, the entire safety system becomes reliable and safer. Strong oversight, protect confidentiality, and a focus on fixing systemic issues--not blaming workers--are essential to a safety culture that truly delivers results." - Bret Oestreich, National President of Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association
"The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) thanks Senator Cantwell for introducing the FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026, which, when passed, will result in critical improvements to the FAA's Safety Management System." - National Air Traffic Controllers Association
"We thank Senator Cantwell for her continued leadership on aviation safety. The FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 strengthens oversight of FAA's Safety Management System and ensures it is integrated across the entire agency. This important safety program is critical to maintaining the highest standards and identifying hazards before they become serious. By including pilots on this independent expert review panel, the bill reinforces the essential role of frontline aviation professionals in advancing a strong and effective agency-wide safety culture."- Captain Jason Ambrosi, Air Line Pilots Association, International
"As the frontline operators of our nation's aviation system, the Allied Pilots Association recognizes that a world-class safety culture must begin at the regulatory level. While the FAA has mandated SMS for airlines and manufacturers, it is essential that the agency itself be held to the same rigorous, data-driven standards. This bill is entirely necessary in ensuring the FAA has the robust internal safety systems necessary to protect the flying public." - First Officer Nick Silva, Allied Pilots Association President
"The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) strongly supports the introduction of the FAA SMS Compliance Review Act of 2026 by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA). As the professional pilots of Southwest Airlines who operate within the National Airspace System every day, we know that a robust Safety Management System (SMS) is a cornerstone of aviation safety. It is imperative that the FAA not only enforces these standards on operators but also effectively implements them within its own agency. We specifically applaud the legislation's requirement to include frontline labor representatives on the expert review panel. A true safety culture relies on non-punitive, voluntary reporting and the direct input of the pilots and air traffic controllers who witness the system's realities firsthand. By examining the efficacy of the FAA's current safety reporting programs and risk management policies, this bill ensures that the voices of aviation safety professionals are heard. SWAPA urges Congress to pass this critical legislation to ensure the FAA's internal safety culture matches the high standards required of the U.S. aviation industry." - Captain Jody Reven, President, Southwest Airlines Pilots Association
The bill models the successful expert review panel convened due to Section 103 of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, which recommended key safety reforms to FAA and Boeing to strengthen safety culture and aircraft certification and production oversight in the aftermath of the 737 MAX crashes.
Ranking Member Cantwell included this FAA-wide SMS provision in her legislation to strengthen aviation safety in light of safety failures highlighted by the DCA mid-air collision - S. 1985, the Safe Operations of Shared Airspace Act. As Chair of the Commerce Committee, Senator Cantwell previously introduced a similar provision in the FAA SMS Compliance Act of 2024 in August 2024 following the January 2024 Alaska Airlines flight 1282 door plug incident.
During an April 2024 Committee hearing with members of the ODA Expert Review Panel, which was tasked with reviewing Boeing's safety culture, Sen. Cantwell also raised concerns about FAA's safety culture.
"I believe the FAA needs not only a strong workforce strategy to exercise the oversight of the manufacturers to ensure proper implementation of SMS," said Sen. Cantwell, before asking the panel: "What SMS should the FAA implement in their own house to make sure that they are improving the safety culture and standing up on these important safety measures?"
In response, Dr. Najmedin Meshkati recommended the establishment of a specific expert panel to review the effectiveness of the FAA's implementation of its own SMS.
This legislation builds on Senator Cantwell's extensive record on aviation safety. Under her leadership as Commerce Committee Chair, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, prioritizing air traffic controller hiring, FAA safety staffing, and implementing key NTSB safety recommendations like 25-hour cockpit voice recorders. Her landmark 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act strengthened FAA oversight of manufacturers following the Boeing 737 MAX crashes. Senator Cantwell has pursued accountability and solutions following the January 29th collision, calling for permanent helicopter restrictions, demanding Defense Secretary Hegseth provide clarification on military ADS-B policies and joining Chairman Cruz in requesting concurrent DOT and Army Inspector General audits of DCA airspace safety issues.
A section by section of the bill is HERE (https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/297B14AB-079B-4435-ADD9-36B52B59ADB6) and the full bill text is HERE (https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/3F98EB37-0C2F-4843-BC8B-C210783CB1E6).
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Original text here: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2026/1/cantwell-duckworth-warner-markey-shaheen-reintroduce-legislation-to-review-and-strengthen-faa-s-safety-management-system-to-ensure-agency-comprehensively-identifies-and-corrects-safety-risks
Alford Introduces Resolution Honoring President Trump's Historic Greenland Deal
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Mark Alford, R-Missouri, issued the following news release:
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Alford Introduces Resolution Honoring President Trump's Historic Greenland Deal
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Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) introduced a resolution honoring President Donald J. Trump for securing a historic strategic agreement establishing permanent United States sovereignty and control over critical military installations in Greenland, strengthening Arctic security, and countering malign Russian and Chinese influence.
Read the text of the resolution here.
"President Trump has once again displayed
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Mark Alford, R-Missouri, issued the following news release:
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Alford Introduces Resolution Honoring President Trump's Historic Greenland Deal
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Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) introduced a resolution honoring President Donald J. Trump for securing a historic strategic agreement establishing permanent United States sovereignty and control over critical military installations in Greenland, strengthening Arctic security, and countering malign Russian and Chinese influence.
Read the text of the resolution here.
"President Trump has once again displayedthe Art of the Deal on the world stage," said Congressman Alford. "The historic Greenland accord will deliver a new era of global security in the Arctic. By securing this deal to deter Russian and Chinese aggression through diplomacy, rather than force, this administration is showing America First does not mean America alone. I'm proud to introduce this resolution to recognize President's steadfast leadership and this extraordinary accomplishment."
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Original text here: https://alford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1465
Burlison to Host IRS and SBA Assistance Week Throughout Missouri's 7th District
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Missouri, issued the following news release:
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Burlison to Host IRS and SBA Assistance Week Throughout Missouri's 7th District
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WASHINGTON -The office of Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) will host an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Small Business Administration (SBA) Assistance Week from Feb. 23 through Feb. 27, with in-person sessions held daily from noon to 3:00 p.m. Central Time at five locations across Missouri's 7th Congressional District. No appointment is necessary.
The assistance week is intended to help constituents address ongoing issues
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 28 -- Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Missouri, issued the following news release:
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Burlison to Host IRS and SBA Assistance Week Throughout Missouri's 7th District
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WASHINGTON -The office of Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) will host an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Small Business Administration (SBA) Assistance Week from Feb. 23 through Feb. 27, with in-person sessions held daily from noon to 3:00 p.m. Central Time at five locations across Missouri's 7th Congressional District. No appointment is necessary.
The assistance week is intended to help constituents address ongoing issueswith the IRS and the SBA, including delayed tax refunds, incorrect bills, audits, loan concerns, and other complex matters before the agencies.
While Rep. Burlison's office cannot file taxes on behalf of constituents, district staff can serve as a liaison between constituents and federal agencies by helping resolve communication delays, clarify case status, and cut through bureaucratic red tape. In prior cases, the office has assisted constituents in recovering significant delayed refunds and resolving longstanding issues involving the SBA.
To provide direct support, Rep. Burlison's office will host IRS and SBA Assistance Week at five locations across the district.
All sessions will be held from noon to 3:00 p.m. Central Time.
Monday, Feb. 23
Pineville Library
808 Bailey Road
Pineville, MO
Community Room
Tuesday, Feb. 24
Joplin Public Library
1901 E. 20th St.
Joplin, MO 64804
Community Room 1
Wednesday, Feb. 25
206 W. Water St.
Mt. Vernon, MO 65712
Community Room
Thursday, Feb. 26
312 Esplanade Drive
Hollister, MO 65672
Community Room
Friday, Feb. 27
Springfield Library
4653 S. Campbell Ave.
Springfield, MO 65810
Community Room A
Constituents will be able to meet one on one with district staff to receive guidance on resolving issues with the IRS or SBA. Participants are encouraged to bring any relevant documentation related to their case.
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Original text here: https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/burlison-host-irs-and-sba-assistance-week-throughout-missouris-7th-district
