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New Data: Virginia Farmers Spent Over $1,500 More on Diesel Fuel Amid Trump's War of Choice With Iran
WASHINGTON, July 28 (TNSrep) -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release:
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New Data: Virginia Farmers Spent Over $1,500 More on Diesel Fuel Amid Trump's War of Choice with Iran
As oil prices hit $100 a barrel last week amid President Trump's war of choice with Iran, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are spotlighting a new congressional report that found that farmers in Virginia and across the country spent over $1,500 more to fill up their farm's onsite fuel tank - the common way farmers buy and store diesel fuel - during this year's spring planting
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WASHINGTON, July 28 (TNSrep) -- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, issued the following news release:
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New Data: Virginia Farmers Spent Over $1,500 More on Diesel Fuel Amid Trump's War of Choice with Iran
As oil prices hit $100 a barrel last week amid President Trump's war of choice with Iran, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) are spotlighting a new congressional report that found that farmers in Virginia and across the country spent over $1,500 more to fill up their farm's onsite fuel tank - the common way farmers buy and store diesel fuel - during this year's spring plantingseason than they did last year. Trump's war of choice has caused diesel prices to skyrocket, which has in turn harmed farmers at a time when they already face increased costs and new challenges from Trump's tariffs.
"Virginia farmers depend on diesel fuel to plant, harvest, and transport the crops that feed their families and communities and sustain their livelihoods. Our Commonwealth's farmers are being squeezed from every direction as Trump's war of choice drives up the cost of diesel at the same time they're struggle with the strain of the president's senseless tariffs," said the senators. "Virginia's farmers work tirelessly to keep our families fed, and they deserve leaders who will fight for commonsense policies to lower their expenses."
This new report includes state-by-state data that shows how much more it cost Virginia farmers to fill up a typical farm fuel tank, grain truck, or tractor this spring amid Trump's war of choice with Iran. The report found:
* The average farmer in Virginia spent as much as $1,514 more to refill their farm's onsite fuel tank as compared to the same high point during the 2025 planting season.
* On average, Virginia farmers this spring spent $202 more to fill a single grain truck and $246 more to fill a single tractor as compared to last planting season.
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Report link: https://www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/37b255b8-91d9-43b0-8041-6b0d90cd150f/final---jec-fact-sheet-on-diesel-farming-costs.pdf
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Original text here: https://www.warner.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/new-data-virginia-farmers-spent-over-1500-more-on-diesel-fuel-amid-trumps-war-of-choice-with-iran/
ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins the Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, issued the following news release on July 27, 2026:
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ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins the Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined the Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel to discuss President Trump's attendance at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner following April's assassination attempt.
Key Excerpts on the White House Correspondents' Dinner:
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): "He could have canceled; he could have said we're not going to reschedule this event; there would have been good reason not to try
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, issued the following news release on July 27, 2026:
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ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins the Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined the Ingraham Angle on Fox News Channel to discuss President Trump's attendance at the 2026 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner following April's assassination attempt.
Key Excerpts on the White House Correspondents' Dinner:
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): "He could have canceled; he could have said we're not going to reschedule this event; there would have been good reason not to tryto do it again, but this says a lot about the president. President Trump never backs down. He could have said, 'I don't want to hang out with all of these reporters who never give me a fair deal, who never report accurately about me.' But he went and did it anyway, and he made it a point to say even after the tragic event that happened before, we are still going to hold this event. In the 250th year of the greatest country in the history of the world, we are still going to celebrate, come together, the press, the political parties and the leadership for this country and talk about what makes the country great."
"Many, if not most of those people in the room hate President Trump. They do not want him to succeed even if that means the country succeeds. These are the same people who want him to fall flat, with the country, on his face. President Trump never backs down; he always gets back up, and I think tonight will be a great moment for him and the country."
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Original text here: https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-the-ingraham-angle-on-fox-news-channel/
ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, issued the following news release on July 27, 2026:
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ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show to discuss Sophie Cunningham's recent comments about protecting female athletes, media attacks against Caitlin Clark, election integrity concerns in New Jersey, and the importance of passing the SAVE America Act.
Key Excerpts on Sophie Cunningham:
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): "I couldn't be more proud as a Hoosier that this is the type of player that the Fever has
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, issued the following news release on July 27, 2026:
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ICYMI: Sen. Banks Joins the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) joined the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show to discuss Sophie Cunningham's recent comments about protecting female athletes, media attacks against Caitlin Clark, election integrity concerns in New Jersey, and the importance of passing the SAVE America Act.
Key Excerpts on Sophie Cunningham:
Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.): "I couldn't be more proud as a Hoosier that this is the type of player that the Fever hasattracted. I have three teenage daughters; I'm a girl dad. These are the women I want my daughters to look up to. These are the women I want them to look at and say, I want to be more like Sophie Cunningham. This makes me very proud."
Key Excerpts on the SAVE America Act:
"Frankly, I'm frustrated with the Senate, the lack of fight. President Trump came a couple weeks ago and had lunch with the Republican Senators, and he brought this tough love message: if you don't fight for the SAVE America Act, the Trump voters aren't going to show up and vote for you in the midterm elections. And I think he is exactly right on that. We haven't seen the fight in the Senate that we have seen in the House to pass the SAVE America Act.
"The SAVE America Act that protects our elections and makes sure that only Americans vote in American elections is fundamental to the future of our country. But the big news of the week that CNN and NBC and all the mainstream media didn't cover is that the liberal Democrat Governor in New Jersey came out and said out loud this week that they accidentally added 6,600 noncitizens to the voter rolls in the state of New Jersey. In the last two elections, about 400 of them actually voted. And I thought the left-wing, mainstream media was saying all along that illegals didn't vote in our elections."
"The vast majority of American people believe you should show an ID when you show up to vote. And we should vote on it and make it a national law. Voter ID is necessary and fundamental to save our elections."
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Original text here: https://www.banks.senate.gov/news/press-releases/icymi-sen-banks-joins-the-clay-travis-buck-sexton-show/
House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman Graves Issues Remarks at Hearing on Need to Improve Federal Disaster Assistance, FEMA
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following opening remarks on July 27, 2026, at a hearing entitled "Reforming FEMA: Ensuring the Nation's Disaster Readiness Works for Americans":
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Last year, I, alongside Ranking Member Larsen, started down the path of examining how we can fix the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Around the same time, President Trump issued an Executive Order creating the FEMA Review Council to develop recommendations on reforming FEMA. What everyone seems to agree
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Rep. Sam Graves, R-Missouri, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, issued the following opening remarks on July 27, 2026, at a hearing entitled "Reforming FEMA: Ensuring the Nation's Disaster Readiness Works for Americans":
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Last year, I, alongside Ranking Member Larsen, started down the path of examining how we can fix the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. Around the same time, President Trump issued an Executive Order creating the FEMA Review Council to develop recommendations on reforming FEMA. What everyone seems to agreeon is that FEMA is broken and has been for a long time.
As communities impacted by disasters across this nation know, the federal emergency management system needs fundamental change to reduce lives lost, speed up recovery, and lower costs for the taxpayer. For decades now, we thought if we just made certain changes here and there, the process would get better.
In 2006, we passed the post-Katrina reforms. Then we passed the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act in 2013, and later the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018. This doesn't even count the bills we've passed targeting specific issues, such as bills I authored to protect disaster victims from FEMA errors and to speed up smaller rebuilding projects.
We have passed reform after reform since FEMA was put into DHS and what was the result? We have thousands of open disaster projects dating back to Hurricane Katrina, ballooning disaster costs, a bureaucracy that feels like you need a Ph.D. to navigate, and little common sense.
Any Member who has had to help constituents navigate FEMA knows how complicated the agency can be. FEMA is supposed to lead the federal government's preparedness for, mitigation against, response to, and recovery from disasters. Given this mission, it should be the nimblest federal agency. But instead, it continues to be swallowed by the weight of its own red tape, regulations, and bureaucracy.
Don't get me wrong - there are good people at FEMA who want the system to work, but we need to make sure they have the tools to be as effective as possible.
Last May, Ranking Member Larsen and I released a discussion draft of the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act, or FEMA Act. The Committee met with and received input from over 150 stakeholders, representing state and local governments, emergency managers, nonprofits, key industries, disaster victims, and other experts and stakeholders. We have received input from Members from both sides of the aisle and on and off this Committee representing communities impacted by disasters.
As a result, in July of last year, we officially introduced the FEMA Act, incorporating the input we received and, in September, ordered the bill, as amended, reported favorably to the House.
More recently, in May of this year, the President's FEMA Review Council completed its work. Not surprisingly, while there are some differences, the goals and many of the approaches in those recommendations mirror the FEMA Act. For example, we all agree reforms must be focused on a system that is state led, locally executed, and federally supported.
I have said that from day one. We all agree FEMA's reimbursement process for rebuilding is inherently flawed, and so moving to upfront grants will not only speed things up but reduce costs. Further, we all agree that investment in mitigation is critical, so we must ensure funding and projects move faster. And we are in agreement that the current way of providing assistance to disaster victims has to be reformed to make more sense.
Now that the FEMA Review Council's recommendations have been released, we hope we can move forward with passing the FEMA Act.
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Click here (https://transportation.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=410200) for more information, including video of today's hearing.
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Original text here: https://transportation.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=410248
House Judiciary Ranking Member Raskin Calls Foul on FIFA President Infantino for Trump Bribery and Corruption Scheme
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release:
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Ranking Member Raskin Calls Foul on FIFA President Infantino for Trump Bribery and Corruption Scheme
Judiciary Democrats Demand FIFA President Sit for Transcribed Interview on Shady DOJ-FIFA Dealings and Deceptive Ticket Practices During U.S. World Cup
Raskin: "It's time to pull a red card on FIFA's corruption."
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Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, launching an investigation
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release:
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Ranking Member Raskin Calls Foul on FIFA President Infantino for Trump Bribery and Corruption Scheme
Judiciary Democrats Demand FIFA President Sit for Transcribed Interview on Shady DOJ-FIFA Dealings and Deceptive Ticket Practices During U.S. World Cup
Raskin: "It's time to pull a red card on FIFA's corruption."
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Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote to Gianni Infantino, President of FIFA, launching an investigationinto mounting evidence of corruption and a potential quid pro quo between FIFA and the Trump Administration. The investigation examines a sustained campaign by FIFA to secure special favors from President Trump--including the dismissal of high-profile corruption cases involving hundreds of millions of dollars related to FIFA--all while gouging American consumers for exorbitant prices during the World Cup.
"The most recent quid pro quo that FIFA and President Trump orchestrated is not a victimless crime. It hurts Americans. FIFA has taken its newfound favored status in the Trump Administration as a sign that it may rip off its consumers, most notably, by employing illegal price gouging and fraudulent sales tactics for the World Cup," wrote Ranking Member Raskin.
Since Infantino's election, FIFA has dismantled key ethics guardrails, sidelined ethics and oversight bodies, and pursued an aggressive campaign to curry favor with Donald Trump, including through outright bribery. In exchange for leasing an office in Trump Tower at inflated costs for limited use and inventing a bogus "peace prize" for the President, the Trump Administration abandoned anti-corruption enforcement and allowed FIFA to operate as a multinational criminal enterprise with impunity.
FIFA's history of corruption is well-documented. The DOJ previously uncovered a sprawling, decades-long bribery scheme involving defendants from more than 20 countries, who exchanged over $200 million in bribes and kickbacks over 24 years in return for lucrative media rights to international soccer matches. Yet after securing convictions in two of these cases--upheld unanimously on appeal--the Trump DOJ abruptly dropped the prosecutions, allowing convicted defendants to walk free.
That impunity has come at the expense of American soccer fans. FIFA has imposed extreme and unlawful ticketing practices for the World Cup, including price surges from a promised $1,550 cap to nearly $33,000 per seat, widespread use of dynamic pricing, and the ability to downgrade ticket holders to worse seats after purchase. These tactics have triggered state-level investigations while Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Trade Commission have looked the other way.
Ranking Member Raskin is demanding documents and communications from FIFA related to any gifts, payments, or benefits provided to Trump and his associates, as well as records concerning FIFA's ticketing practices and contacts with U.S. officials. He is further demanding the visitor logs for FIFA's gratuitous, largely vacant office space in Trump Tower. The Committee is also requesting Infantino's appearance for a transcribed interview.
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INFODOC: https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/democrats-judiciary.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2026-07-26-raskin-to-infantino-fifa-re-corruption.pdf
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Original text here: https://democrats-judiciary.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-raskin-calls-foul-on-fifa-president-infantino-for-trump-bribery-and-corruption-scheme
House Ethics Committee Leaders Issue Statement Regarding Rep. Gooden
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Rep. Michael Guest, R-Mississippi, and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-California, chairman and ranking member, of the House Ethics Committee, issued the following statement on July 27, 2026, regarding Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas:
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Pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(A), and Committee Rules 17A(b)(1)(A) and 17A(c)(1), the Committee on Ethics has extended the matter regarding Representative Lance Gooden, which was transmitted to the Committee by the Office of Congressional Conduct on June 10, 2026.
The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension,
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Rep. Michael Guest, R-Mississippi, and Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-California, chairman and ranking member, of the House Ethics Committee, issued the following statement on July 27, 2026, regarding Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Texas:
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Pursuant to House Rule XI, clause 3(b)(8)(A), and Committee Rules 17A(b)(1)(A) and 17A(c)(1), the Committee on Ethics has extended the matter regarding Representative Lance Gooden, which was transmitted to the Committee by the Office of Congressional Conduct on June 10, 2026.
The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension,and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee.
The Committee will announce its course of action in this matter on or before November 9, 2026.
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Original text here: https://ethics.house.gov/press-releases/statement-of-the-chairman-and-ranking-member-of-the-committee-on-ethics-regarding-representative-lance-gooden/
Gottheimer Hosts First Responder Roundtable in Paramus to Hear Directly From North Jersey Police, Fire, and EMS Leaders
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on July 27, 2026:
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Gottheimer Hosts First Responder Roundtable in Paramus to Hear Directly from North Jersey Police, Fire, and EMS Leaders
PARAMUS, N.J. -- On July 24, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a First Responder Roundtable in Paramus with more than seventy fire chiefs, police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, and union leaders from across North Jersey to hear directly about the challenges facing local departments and to discuss his work in Washington to support the hard-working
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on July 27, 2026:
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Gottheimer Hosts First Responder Roundtable in Paramus to Hear Directly from North Jersey Police, Fire, and EMS Leaders
PARAMUS, N.J. -- On July 24, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a First Responder Roundtable in Paramus with more than seventy fire chiefs, police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, and union leaders from across North Jersey to hear directly about the challenges facing local departments and to discuss his work in Washington to support the hard-workingpeople who keep Jersey families safe.
"This room is full of people who run toward danger while everybody else is running the other way," said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). "On behalf of the entire Fifth District, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. I'm proud of what we've done, but I'm not satisfied. I'm going to keep fighting for it in Washington, the same way I have for the last decade, because the people in this room are the reason our towns are safe."
Immediately following the roundtable, Gottheimer announced more than $42 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to strengthen law enforcement and keep Jersey communities safe. This funding comes on top of the $8.5 million previously secured to protect Jersey during the World Cup, totaling more than $50 million clawed back for New Jersey law enforcement since June.
Gottheimer highlighted the pressures he hears across the District: fire departments running pumpers 25 or 30 years past their service life while new trucks approach a million dollars; smaller police departments struggling to compete for recruits; and EMS squads funded call by call but expected to stand ready around the clock. More than 94 percent of local police departments nationwide have fewer than 100 sworn officers.
Since 2017, Gottheimer has clawed back more than $17 million in Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) resources, more than $11 million in Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), and nearly $7 million in Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants.
This year, he helped push Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne JAG) resources from $499 million to $964 million nationally and COPS resources from $417 million to $800 million, and secured $8.5 million for World Cup security and $30 million for bulletproof vests.
As the Co-Chair of the Law Enforcement Caucus and a member of the Fire Services Caucus, Gottheimer helped pass the Fire Grants and Safety Act into law and introduced the Invest to Protect Act, which passed the House, to help small departments recruit, retain, and support their officers. He also helped pass the Social Security Fairness Act, repealing the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) penalties, and secured full funding for the World Trade Center Health Program for the life of the program.
Gottheimer was joined by Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, State Senator Gordon Johnson (LD 37), Chief Marc Metzinger of Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Underchief Avenatti of the Sussex County Sheriff's Office, Captain Clayton Arnott of the Sussex County Sheriff's Office, Bergen County Prosecutor's Office Chief of Detectives Jeff Angermeyer, Sussex County Prosecutor Dan Perez, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, Lieutenant Kyle Phlegar of the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office, Bergen County Office of Emergency Services' Stuart Blank, Detective Cassidy Egan of the New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association, Mr. Michael Basti of the New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association, 2nd Vice President Cesar Morales of Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, Treasurer Steve Ekizian of Port Authority Police Benevolent Association, Treasurer Matthew Reheis of Port Authority Lieutenant's Benevolent Association, Bergenfield Fire Chief Ryan Zadrozna, Bergenfield Firefighter Jeremy Donch, Cresskill Fire Chief James Lyons, Demarest Fire Chief John McLoughlin, Hackensack Fire Chief Keith Rosazza, Harrington Park Fire Chief Jesse Barragato, Montvale Fire Chief Geoffrey Gibbons, Northvale Fire Department's Lieutenant Edward Witkowski, Ridgewood Fire Chief John Judge, Oradell Police Chief David Gangemi, Palisades Park Police Chief George Beck, Palisades Park Police Director Michael Gardner, Palisades Park Police Sergeant Chris Sambogna, Palisades Park Police Officer Sangwon Bob Lee, Ridgewood Police Chief Forest Lyons, Bloomingdale Police Chief Daniel Greenwood, Bloomingdale Business Administrator Michael Sondermeyer, Teaneck Fire Department Chief Joseph Berchtold, Allendale Police Chief Michael Dillon, Englewood Cliffs Police Chief William Henkelman, Detective Sergeant Matthew Ferraro of the Ringwood Police Department, Ramsey Police Department's Lieutenant Anthony Fiore, Fair Lawn Police Chief Joseph Dawicki, Fort Lee Police Chief Matthew J. Hintze, Glen Rock Police Chief Michael Trover, Saddle River Police Chief Ed Riedel,Wanaque Police Department Lieutenant Brian Belfamini, Chief Robert Hoag of Demarest Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Chief Steven Curry of Fort Lee Ambulance Corps, Captain Bruce Marshall of Harrington Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Chief Milton Kohlmann of Paramus Volunteer Ambulance Corps, President Annette Young of Ramsey Ambulance Corps, Deputy Chief Antonio Navazio of Ramsey Ambulance Corps, 20th EMS District Chair Jane Simon with Ramsey Ambulance Corps, Captain Nicole Grecco of River Edge Volunteer Ambulance Services, Chief Ezra Finkelstein of Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Special Operations Advisor Joseph Harris of Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Captain Rush Sherman of Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Michael Cook of Wyckoff Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Maria Hannoush of Wyckoff Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Alan Kicks of Wyckoff Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
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Original text here: https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-hosts-first-responder-roundtable-in-paramus-to-hear-directly-from-north-jersey-police-fire-and-ems-leaders
Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Winn's Pizza & Steakhouse and Winn & Sara's Kitchen
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, posted the following news release on July 27, 2026:
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Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Winn's Pizza & Steakhouse and Winn & Sara's Kitchen
Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa's 99 counties.
RED OAK, Iowa - U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Winn's Pizza & Steakhouse and Winn & Sara's Kitchen of Warren County. Throughout
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, posted the following news release on July 27, 2026:
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Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, Winn's Pizza & Steakhouse and Winn & Sara's Kitchen
Throughout this Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa's 99 counties.
RED OAK, Iowa - U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Winn's Pizza & Steakhouse and Winn & Sara's Kitchen of Warren County. Throughoutthe 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in each of Iowa's 99 counties.
"Winn's Pizza & Steakhouse has been an outstanding addition to the Indianola community," said Chair Ernst. "For 23 years, the Nguyen family has proudly served Iowans with their signature thin-crust pizzas and hand-cut steaks, building a loyal following through exceptional food and service. The Nguyen family's dedication to their customers and community embodies the very best of Iowa's entrepreneurial spirit."
Founded in 2003 by Winn Nguyen, Winn's Pizza & Steakhouse has become a beloved fixture in the Indianola community. In 2015, Winn expanded to Norwalk, bringing the business'ssignature hospitality and comfort food to even more Iowans. Most recently, the launch of Winn & Sara's Kitchen in 2024 further strengthened the family's connection to the community, earning widespread praise during its first three appearances at the Iowa State Fair. For over two decades, the Nguyen family has worked tirelessly to serve classic comfort food with a creative twist.
Stay tuned as Chair Ernst continues to recognize outstanding Iowa small businesses with her Small Business of the Week award.
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Original text here: https://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=A84F7BEE-3021-4EF1-8C53-AEBE9D63F349
Blunt Rochester, Bennet Reintroduce Bill to Connect Workers With Higher Wages
WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Delaware, issued the following news release:
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Blunt Rochester, Bennet Reintroduce Bill to Connect Workers with Higher Wages
U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) reintroduced the Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act to expand funding for evidence-based and innovative workforce development programs to ensure that workers have the skills needed to compete in a 21st-century economy.
"As we address a changing economy and the widespread adoption of AI, we must ensure pathways to good jobs are
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WASHINGTON, July 28 -- Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Delaware, issued the following news release:
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Blunt Rochester, Bennet Reintroduce Bill to Connect Workers with Higher Wages
U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) reintroduced the Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act to expand funding for evidence-based and innovative workforce development programs to ensure that workers have the skills needed to compete in a 21st-century economy.
"As we address a changing economy and the widespread adoption of AI, we must ensure pathways to good jobs areavailable," said Blunt Rochester. "I'm proud to co-lead the Better Jobs Through Evidence and Innovation Act to meet the moment by both investing in what works when it comes to workforce training and supporting the development of promising new strategies to prepare our future workforce."
"I hear from veterans and single parents in Colorado who want to provide for themselves and their families but do not have the skills to earn a living wage," said Bennet. "They want to build sustainable careers that pay living wages, we have the programs to train them, and Colorado's economy needs the skills and talent they can provide. The last piece of the puzzle is to invest in the workforce training programs that are proven to create economic mobility for workers of every background."
Programs that upskill workers support long-term economic mobility for individuals, including those without a college degree. These programs are ready and able to serve workers and employers but remain severely underfunded. The Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act would establish the Workforce Development Innovation Fund in the U.S. Department of Labor to test and scale proven innovative strategies to improve employment outcomes for American workers.
The Workforce Development Innovation Fund would make three tiers of funding available to evidence-based employment and training programs that generate demonstrated, long-term economic improvements for jobseekers and employers, and produce high-quality evaluations of their effects.
"America Forward applauds Senators Michael Bennet and Lisa Blunt Rochester for championing the Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act, which would invest in evidence-based workforce development programs delivering real, long-term economic mobility for workers and employers in a rapidly-changing economy," said Deborah Smolover, Executive Director of America Forward. "As the pace of change in our labor market accelerates, this legislation ensures that the high-impact organizations driving economic mobility, many of which are members of the America Forward Coalition, have the support they need to grow and meet the evolving needs of workers and communities nationwide."
"Too many Americans are completing workforce programs only to find themselves without a job or a path to higher earnings, and that's simply not good enough," said David Medina, co-founder and COO of Results for America. "The Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act would address this challenge by finding, funding and implementing workforce programs with proven track records of success, while continuing to build the evidence base for the next generation of solutions. We applaud Sens. Bennet and Blunt Rochester for their leadership in ensuring that workforce investments deliver real, measurable and lasting results for jobseekers and their families."
"Senator Bennet's Better Jobs Through Evidence and Innovation Act represents exactly the approach our workforce development system urgently needs," said Roger Low, CEO & Founder of the Colorado Equitable Economic Mobility Initiative. "By creating a tiered evidence fund, the legislation directs limited federal upskilling and reskilling dollars toward the two priorities that matter most: building strong evidence of effectiveness across promising training and credentialing pathways, and scaling the approaches that work."
"There are training programs across the country with a proven record of moving people into quality careers -- and they could achieve so much more with additional investment. Senator Bennet's Better Jobs through Evidence and Innovation Act would channel federal support to the models that work," said Plinio Ayala, CEO of Per Scholas. "For organizations like Per Scholas, that means reaching more learners, connecting employers with the skilled talent they need, and opening durable, demand-driven pathways to economic mobility."
This bill is supported by over 60 organizations: America Forward, Results for America, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, ActivateWork, Aliento Education Fund, Appetite For Change, AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation, Arnold Ventures, BluePrint Geneva, Inc., Braven, CEEMI, Center for Employment Opportunities, Chrysalis, Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, Colorado Succeeds, ConnectED Workforce, CrossPurpose, EDGE Partners, Education Partnerships Coalition of Minnesota, Elevate Teaching, FutureFit AI, Goodwill of Colorado, Jobs for the Future, Join FreeWorld Inc., JVS Bay Area, JVS Boston, Knowledge Alliance, LIFT Inc, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Main Street Youth & Family Services, Merit America, Metro Alliance of Career Readiness Organizations, National Association of Workforce Boards, National Skills Coalition, NPower, Oakland Promise, Opportunity@Work, Per Scholas, Project Evident, Project QUEST, Propel America, RecycleForce, Redefine Alliance, Second Chance Center, Servicios de La Raza, Servicios Sigue, STRIVE International, StriveTogether, TeamHWH, The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, The Master's Apprentice, Third Sector, Third Way, United Way of Salt Lake, Vehicles for Change, Women's Bean Project, Workforce, Inc., Yakima Valley Partners for Education, Year Up United, YouthBuild Global, and YUPRO Placement.
The text of the bill is available HERE (https://www.bennet.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Better-Jobs-Act-FINAL-.pdf). A summary of the bill is available HERE (https://www.bennet.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/20260617-BJA-Summary.pdf).
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Original text here: https://www.bluntrochester.senate.gov/news/press-releases/news-blunt-rochester-bennet-reintroduce-bill-to-connect-workers-with-higher-wages/
