The U.S. Senate on Dec. 4 unanimously passed the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, bipartisan, bicameral legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in her chamber to reauthorize and provide a total of $17 million in federal Read more…
U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) want to know what’s behind the Marriott International cybersecurity data breach that has affected roughly 500 million people. Marriott International on Nov. 30 announced measures were taken to investigate and address Read more…
Specific programs and federally proposed legislation could help reduce the prison recidivism rates that are taking a social and financial toll on America, wrote U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) this week. “Educational and vocational pathways can help offenders leave their Read more…
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and a bipartisan group of 24 other senators urged U.S. Senate leadership to include at least a one-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program in any end-of-year legislative package. In response to declining Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) led a bipartisan group of colleagues in urging a federal response to Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), an infectious neurodegenerative disease confirmed to have stricken deer, elk and moose in 25 states and four Canadian provinces. Read more…
Local utilities and low-income Americans could benefit from a new bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). The Low-Income Water Customer Assistance Programs Act of 2018, S. 3564, introduced on Oct. 10 with U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Read more…
A dozen Republican senators led by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) last week requested that the U.S. Treasury Department improve protections for America’s community banks via tax relief provided in federal laws. The lawmakers have requested that the final rule Read more…
Support continues for bipartisan legislation supported by sole Republican co-sponsor U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) that would bring competition to the market for inmate calling rates at American prison facilities. More than two dozen criminal justice leaders and civil rights Read more…
U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) last week requested that the CEO of Google Inc. explain the corporate actions taken to address an in-house vulnerability that presumably exposed the private profile information of some half a million Read more…
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) is among 20 senators who recently requested that President Donald Trump decline a proposal for the year-round sale of E15 fuel, which is a blend of 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol by volume Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), a member of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, earlier this week questioned whether increased federal action would aide in the halt of illegal fishing and seafood trade in the global marketplace. Sen. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) this week heralded recent action by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prioritize cleanup at the Rockwell International Wheel and Trim Site in Grenada, Miss. The EPA on Sept. 11 added the location to its Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Aug. 28 unveiled the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement Act to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, or IUU fishing. “The United States faces a host of threats to maritime security, including those from Read more…
Quick, robust enforcement by the U.S. Treasury Department is crucial for the Trump administration’s so-called maximum pressure strategy to succeed against terrorist-financiers like Iran, according to U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and more than a dozen Republican Senate colleagues. The Read more…
The Ensuring Coverage for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, introduced on Aug. 23 by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), is supported by 10 Republican senators who want to guarantee Americans receive ongoing health coverage regardless of their conditions. “There are Read more…
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined 19 of his GOP Senate colleagues to demand that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not overstep its bounds by updating policy in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS sets the rule for Read more…
Republican lawmakers succeeded in advancing a bipartisan bill to the president’s desk that was signed into law extending the National Flood Insurance Program before it expired, ensuring that the 140 million Americans living in coastal counties will have flood insurance Read more…
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) seeks help from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in extending Colorado’s broadband infrastructure to help end the state’s mental health crisis via improved telehealth services. “Broadband connectivity remains a significant barrier to telehealth adoption and Read more…
With more than $4.5 billion in federal support becoming available for state, local and tribal governments around the United States to expand rural wireless broadband over the next 10 years, the nationwide map depicting the correct eligible areas is vitally Read more…
U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Majority Whip on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, and U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), chairman of the bipartisan House Automotive Caucus, both gave President Donald Trump a thumbs up for repealing another Obama-era rule. Read more…
More students living in rural, low-income areas of the United States would be able to benefit from the Junior ROTC leadership program under a bill introduced on May 16 by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). The JROTC Opportunities through Transformational Read more…
A bipartisan bill led by U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) to advance the use of precision farming by identifying and closing broadband connectivity gaps in rural areas was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on April 25. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has spearheaded a bipartisan congressional effort seeking the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson, an American imprisoned in Turkey since 2016 on what the lawmaker’s office deems as bogus charges related to terrorism and espionage. Turkish Read more…
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on April 6 outlined plans for how his home state could be the next-generation technology leader that positively changes coal-fired power usage in the United States. “Our cooperatives and their members need the certainty that Read more…
U.S Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) on March 19 introduced a bipartisan bill proposing a $100 million annual grant program to fund public-private partnerships that advance infrastructure projects and economic development in the Appalachian region. “Federal Read more…
Progress in the United States toward implementing Positive Train Control (PTC) safety technologies needs to pick up some speed, said U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) during a March 1 Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing on the matter. “I Read more…
All areas of the Gulf of Mexico should be considered by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) in upcoming leasing plans for oil and gas development, urged Republican U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) in a Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Feb. 26 introduced the Surface Warfare Enhancement Act of 2018, S. 2452, legislation to improve the ability of the United States Navy to conduct combat operations and activities in the aftermath of two deadly Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) teamed up with U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to lead 42 Senate colleagues in recommending that President Donald Trump support a joint proposal from the United States, Canada and Mexico to host the 2026 Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) spearheaded a group of his Senate colleagues in urging President Donald Trump to revisit consideration of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in talks this week with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that are expected to encompass Read more…
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) on Feb. 13 joined Senate Democrats in introducing the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act, S. 2421, which would relieve agricultural producers from certain requirements Read more…
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on Feb. 7 introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would tackle Alzheimer’s disease on multiple fronts with the goal being to find a cure. “The CHANGE Act takes a multi-prong approach to help the Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) led a bipartisan group of his colleagues in asking Senate leadership to immediately reauthorize community health center funding and ensure health care access for center patrons and business stability for center staffs. “For more than Read more…
U.S. Senate Aging Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) continues a bipartisan collaboration with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on fighting Alzheimer’s disease and has requested President Donald Trump bolster related research funding in his fiscal year 2019 budget proposal. Alzheimer’s disease Read more…
Several U.S. Republican senators recently wrote to President Donald Trump quantifying how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) supports U.S. economic development and workforce livelihood and seeking his support for modernizing the trade pact. Representatives of the United States, Read more…
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) has joined in leading a bipartisan group of colleagues to support greater transparency, reduce out-of-pocket costs and eliminate certain fees for American seniors’ prescription drugs. Sens. Capito and Jon Tester (D-MT), along with 19 Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on Jan. 25 introduced bipartisan legislation supporting expanded rural broadband internet service enabling American farmers and ranchers to use innovative methods known as precision agriculture. “Montana farmers and ranchers need access to the farming tools Read more…
The permitting process for telecommunications equipment would be streamlined so that new broadband internet infrastructure, including 5G wireless technology, could be rolled out faster under legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Friday. The Streamlining Permitting to Enable Read more…
The Senate on Monday voted to reconfirm Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai as a member of the FCC for a five-year term, with support from U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Jerry Moran (R-KS). Pai, Read more…
With care for chronically ill patients accounting for a large portion of overall Medicare spending, the Senate approved legislation on Friday from U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to enhance the delivery of care for beneficiaries with multiple chronic conditions. The Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Wednesday would streamline and expedite the process for businesses to apply to the Department of Labor (DOL) to create or renew apprenticeship programs. “Apprenticeships are an important workforce development tool,” Wicker Read more…
President Donald Trump’s policy framework for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan released Monday outlines a committed strategy that moves the U.S. in the right direction toward successfully dealing with the ongoing war there, said U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), chairman of Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) helped author a bipartisan bill to provide regulatory relief to small community banks, specifically targeting rules that are meant to police larger financial institutions. The legislation takes aim at the punitive treatment of trust preferred Read more…
Legislation that would authorize federal wildlife conservation programs and bring certainty to farmers and hunters cleared a key Senate committee vote on Wednesday. The Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation (HELP) for Wildlife Act was approved by the Senate Environment Read more…
Working to support recreational fishing, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced legislation this week that would modernize ocean data collection in order to grant recreational fishermen more access to ocean fisheries. Regional fishery management councils would be encouraged to review Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Monday would establish a national requirement for the Navy to maintain a fleet of 355 ships, which is the military’s current naval requirement. The Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power Read more…
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) led a bipartisan letter on Friday highlighting the importance of the U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) alliance and the pursuit of solutions that neutralize threats from North Korea ahead of meetings this week in Washington. Gardner Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Wednesday would enable non-rural hospitals that serve rural areas through telehealth to garner support from the Federal Communication Commission’s Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF). Established by Congress in 2013, HCF supports health Read more…
A public-private coalition that advances conservation measures in the Gulf of Mexico would be given more oversight and coordination authority under legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). “Protecting the Gulf Coast and its many Read more…
Both Iran and Russia would face new economic sanctions under legislation that cleared the Senate on Thursday with support from U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC), Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). The Countering Iran’s Destabilizing Activities Act would sanction Read more…