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…
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees would face greater accountability and oversight under a bill that the Senate approved on Tuesday with support from U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Pat Roberts (R-KS). The VA Accountability and Read more…
Hoping to fill the growing need for a highly skilled workforce, students would be encouraged to pursue degrees in computer science under bipartisan, bicameral legislation from U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello (R-PA) and U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). The Computer Science Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) led members of Mississippi’s congressional delegation in announcing that Mississippi had been chosen to host a new demonstration range facility for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has selected a Read more…
Enhancing the flow of commercial freight across the country grows the economy, reduces costs and promotes safety, U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) said at a subcommittee hearing on freight policy on Tuesday. Fischer, the chairman of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee Read more…
U.S. Sens. John Hoeven (R-ND), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) praised the Trump administration’s issuing of a presidential permit that approves the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, a project expected to contribute about $3.4 billion to Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Friday would ensure that rural communities have technical training and resources needed to meet federal wastewater treatment standards. Wicker and U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) teamed up to introduce the Small Read more…
U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) led a bipartisan congressional call for adequate funding for the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program in the president’s budget. In a letter to the Office of Management and Read more…
Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) would reform energy efficiency policy in an effort to reduce pollution while boosting the economy. Portman and U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness (ESIC) Act, Read more…
Candidates for Senate seats would be required to electronically file election reports with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) under legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) last week. Senate campaign committees are currently the only Read more…
Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) to better forecast and mitigate the impact of extreme space weather events on the electrical grid and communications systems cleared the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Read more…
Local and state stakeholders would have greater control over national monument designations on federal lands and waters under a bill recently introduced by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). The Improved National Monument Designation Process Act would require local input and Read more…
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) applauded President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of retired U.S. Gen. James Mattis to serve as secretary of defense. Ernst, a combat veteran and a member of the Senate Armed Read more…
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) recently voted in support of legislation that would extend economic sanctions against Iran through 2026. The Iran Sanctions Extension Act will advance to President Barack Obama where Read more…
The death of Fidel Castro will be an opportunity for the United States to work with Cuba to restore greater freedom to its people, argued U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). The death of Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) led a congressional call for President Obama to posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to civil rights leader Medgar Wiley Evers. In a letter to Obama, Wicker and Mississippi’s congressional delegation wrote that Evers Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) joined a bipartisan group of senators to urge the Obama administration to push forward on trade talks with Canada on a lumber agreement that would protect Mississippi’s $1.1 billion forestry industry. In a letter to Read more…
U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) raised questions on Wednesday about why the Obama administration made a $1.7 billion payment to Iran without notifying top U.S. military officials. Ayotte and Gardner led letters to Defense Secretary Ash Read more…
U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) led a bipartisan call on Tuesday against cuts to reimbursement rates for autism therapy for children of service members. Under the fiscal year 2017 Department of Defense Appropriations Act, reimbursement rates Read more…
U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) led a bipartisan call on Tuesday for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to revise a proposed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rule that could limit access to Read more…
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) recently led a request for a proposed offshore energy production rule to be dropped in light of insufficient evidence that it would benefit air quality. A letter led by Cassidy to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell Read more…
Bipartisan legislation recently introduced by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) would expand support for telehealth services in rural areas through the FCC’s Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF). The Reaching Underserved Rural Areas to Lead (RURAL) on Telehealth Act, S. 3218, introduced Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) led a bipartisan call on Monday for the FCC to update its Universal Services Fund (USF) Mobility Fund, which ensures that wireless broadband service is available in underserved areas, including rural communities. Wicker and U.S. Read more…
Bipartisan legislation introduced on Thursday by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) would expedite the implementation of an initiative he led in 2013 to develop a national pediatric research network. The Pediatric Research Improvement Act, S. 3115, would build on the Read more…
The Senate approved that National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Tuesday, which includes the Pentagon’s first major update in 30 years and defense acquisition reforms that aim to harness innovation. U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the chairman of the Senate Read more…
Congressional leaders applauded the Senate’s passage of legislation on Tuesday that would reform and modernize the nation’s chemical safety laws. The Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, S. 697, which would amend the Toxic Control Substances Read more…
The Senate approved a resolution of disapproval on Wednesday to block a rule proposed by the Department of Labor (DOL) to redefine the term “fiduciary” and to impose new restrictions on financial advisors. U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Pat Roberts Read more…
The Senate approved $1.1 billion in emergency funding on Tuesday to help fight the Zika virus. The Senate approved the emergency funding as an amendment to the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Bill. The amendment would send $361 million Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) on Monday would allow employees to discuss compensation with colleagues in an effort to ensure equal compensation for equal work. The Workplace Advancement Act, H.R. 5237, would amend the Fair Labor Standards Read more…
The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on Friday, with key provisions led by U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). The fiscal year 2017 NDAA authorizes Read more…
The Senate approved the bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act on Tuesday, which includes key aviation safety and consumer protection provisions. The bill would authorize $33.1 billion in funding for FAA programs through September 2017. It also includes provisions to Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) led a congressional call on Friday for the FDA to use a new approval pathway to advance treatments for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Under the Food and Drug Administration Safety Innovation Act (FDASIA), the FDA Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) said on Wednesday that a strong Navy and Marine Corps is essential now more than ever to deter adversaries and assure allies around the world. Wicker delivered his remarks at the opening of a Senate Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced a bill on Thursday that would promote collaboration among groups that oversee the Gulf of Mexico’s marine ecosystem. Under the Gulf States Protection and Restoration Coordination Act, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) would Read more…
A Senate committee approved bipartisan legislation cosponsored by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) on Wednesday to make FDA product approval more transparent. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee approved the Patient Focused Impact Assessment (PFIA) Act, S. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) called on Tuesday for implementation of a program that would evaluate how support for family caregivers impacts the long-term care needs of those with Alzheimer’s disease. In a letter to the acting administrator of Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) emphasized the need for rural Internet connectivity on Wednesday during a hearing on the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF). Wicker, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, questioned FCC Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) applauded President Obama’s recent signing of a Coast Guard reauthorization bill that was co-authored by Wicker. Wicker authored portions of the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2015 that address education research grant opportunities, fishing vessel Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) announced the formation of a working group on Monday that will study the return of passenger rail service along the Gulf Coast. The working group will study the potential return of passenger rail service from Read more…
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) called on the Obama administration on Friday to provide a level playing field for the U.S. steel industry against imports that are subsidized by foreign governments. The senators joined 23 colleagues Read more…
Bipartisan legislation to expand telehealth services through Medicare, improve health outcomes and reduce costs was introduced on Wednesday by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Ben Cardin (D-MD), John Thune (R-SD) and Mark Warner (D-VA). Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) was joined by five Senate colleagues on Friday in a letter calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to clarify its arbitrary and inconsistent broadband definitions, which could have a detrimental impact on Montanans. Daines, Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) voted this week to suspend accepting refugees from Iraq and Syria until the implementation of a more thorough screening process. Sixty votes were needed for the American Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act, H.R. 4038, Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) was joined by members of the Mississippi congressional delegation on Tuesday in sending a letter to President Barack Obama expressing support for a federal disaster designation following December’s severe storms. Mississippi would be eligible for Read more…
The Senate’s passage on Friday of a measure that would reauthorize and support the Coast Guard was lauded by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). Wicker, a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, authored several of the provisions Read more…
President Barack Obama signed into law bipartisan legislation this week to aid rural and small communities in complying with federal “safe drinking water” regulations. U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced the Grassroots Rural and Small Community Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) that would reauthorize the foundation for the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) unanimously passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday. The proposal, S. 1886 – the Coordinated Ocean Monitoring Read more…
U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) joined a bipartisan effort last week calling on U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to aid child advocacy centers (CACs) nationwide by ensuring federal support for medical and forensic services. “Thousands of Read more…