Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator for Kansas – Jerry Moran

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) – ranking member of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation and co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus – along with U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Representatives Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10) announced that their bipartisan legislation to help prevent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outages has passed the U.S. House and U.S. Senate and is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The NOTAM Improvement Act would require the FAA to establish a task force to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. This bill follows a recent NOTAM system outage in January that grounded flights nationwide.

“The complete failure of the FAA’s NOTAM system stranded millions of Americans and was a warning of the need to strengthen and modernize our air travel system,” said Sen. Moran. “The FAA has a responsibility to make certain air travel in our country is as safe and efficient as possible. Passing this legislation is an important step to help meet the demands of 21st-century travel and prevent a similar failure in the future.”

“Travelers in the United States deserve safe and dependable air travel service, not nationwide ground stops caused by system failures like we saw earlier this year. That’s why as co-chair of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, I’m focused on strengthening our air travel infrastructure,” said Sen. Klobuchar. “By upgrading and modernizing the FAA’s NOTAM system, this new law will improve aviation safety and prevent system outages from derailing travel.”

“The system failure that grounded all flights earlier this year cannot happen again, and I was proud to join my colleagues Senators Klobuchar and Moran in this effort that would prevent similar outages in the future,” said Sen. Capito. “The NOTAM Improvement Act creates a taskforce of experts to develop specific improvements for this critical system, and I’m pleased to see it pass the House overwhelmingly and heading to the president’s desk.”

“I’m glad to see my NOTAM Improvement Act clear both chambers of Congress and head to the President’s desk,” said Rep. Stauber. “This critical legislation will improve air travel for Americans by making the NOTAM system work better for pilots and passengers alike. I look forward to seeing the bill be signed into law soon.”

“Since the near-miss incident at San Francisco International Airport in 2017, caused in part by the outdated NOTAM system, I have been working to improve aviation safety for both the workforce and the flying public, and am proud to see this bill passed in a bipartisan manner,” said Rep. DeSaulnier. “The NOTAM Improvement Act, and the task force that it creates, will play an important role in the FAA’s ongoing NOTAM modernization initiative, which should be an important part of our ongoing conversations as we address and improve all aspects of aviation safety.”

The task force would be composed of representatives from air carriers, airports, and airline pilot, aircraft dispatcher, and FAA personnel unions, as well as aviation safety and cybersecurity experts.

In January, Sens. Moran and Klobuchar spoke with FAA Acting Administrator Billy Nolen following the NOTAM system failure to discuss his agency’s efforts to identify the factors behind the system outage that grounded all flights nationwide and prevent similar breakdowns from happening again.

# # #

Source: United States Senator for North Carolina Thom Tillis

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) released the following statement in response to Governor Cooper’s partisan publicity tour seeking to derail bipartisan legislation advancing through the General Assembly, including the budget process. As Speaker of the House in North Carolina, Tillis led the creation of the Opportunity Scholarship Program and an override of then-Governor Perdue’s veto of a bipartisan budget.  

“Through his partisan temper tantrums, it’s clear that Roy Cooper isn’t handling being a lame duck governor very well. Governor Cooper created a phony state of emergency in a desperate attempt to block bipartisan, fiscally responsible legislation that will cut taxes for hardworking families, provide pay raises for teachers, more educational opportunities for students, and fund Medicaid expansion.

“Between Governor Cooper’s ultra-partisan theatrics and President Biden’s chaotic mishandling of the debt limit, North Carolinians are sick and tired of the political nonsense and seeing politicians trying to push us into a far-left ditch. It’s time for our elected officials to start working to find common ground for the good of our state and country.”

###

Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

05.24.23

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, joined 26 senators in reintroducing S.1723, the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act, which seeks healing for stolen Native children and their communities. The bill would establish a formal commission to investigate, document, and acknowledge past injustices of the federal government’s Indian Boarding School Policies. This includes attempts to terminate Native cultures, religions, and languages; assimilation practices; and human rights violations. The commission would also develop recommendations for Congress to aid in healing of the historical and intergenerational trauma passed down in Native families and communities and provide a forum for victims to speak about personal experiences tied to these human rights violations.

“It is past time the U.S. government come to terms with the dark legacy of the Indian boarding school era, which attempted to destroy Native American cultures, religions, and languages,” said Senator Murkowski. “A formal truth and healing commission will help address those past injustices and support processes that bring healing to survivors, their families, and communities. I thank my colleagues who continue to support this legislation and look forward to the healing and justice it will help provide.”

The Indian Boarding School Policies were implemented by the federal government to strip American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children of their Indigenous identities, beliefs, and languages. Nearly 83 percent of AI/AN children, as young as 5 years old, were forcibly removed from their Tribal lands and families to be enrolled in one of 367 Indian boarding schools across 30 states, resulting in human rights violations including spiritual, physical, psychological, and sexual abuse and violence. The full effects of the Indian Boarding School Policy have never been appropriately addressed, resulting in long-standing historical and intergenerational trauma, cycles of violence and abuse, disappearance, premature deaths, and additional undocumented psychological trauma. Furthermore, the residual impact of the Indian Boarding School Policy remains evident in a lack of culturally inclusive and affirming curricula and historically inaccurate representation of AI/AN people, history, and contributions. 

In May 2022, Senator Murkowski released a public statement responding to the Department of the Interior’s release of its initial investigative report initiated by its Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which called for a comprehensive review of the legacy of federal boarding school policies. Following that report, Senator Murkowski helped lead a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA) oversight hearing on “Volume 1 of the Department of the Interior’s Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report” and a legislative hearing to receive testimony on S. 2907, the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act, of which she was also a co-sponsor.

The bill is endorsed by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), National Indian Education Association (NIEA), National Indian Health Board (NIHB), National Council of Urban Indian Health (NCUIH), National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA), American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center (NIWRC), Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB), Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FNCL), and United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF). 

The bill is led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), and also co-sponsored by Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chair of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Marin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). 

“The Indian Boarding School Policies are a stain on America’s history, and it’s long overdue that the federal government reckon with its legacy of causing unimaginable suffering and trauma for survivors, victims, and the thousands of Native families who remain impacted. This is why I’m reintroducing legislation to establish a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies that would investigate the federal government’s shameful actions to terminate the cultures, religions, and languages of Native communities and respond to the intergenerational trauma impacting tribal communities today,” said Senator Warren.

“Indian boarding school policies are a dark chapter in our nation’s history. They ripped away Native kids from their families, suppressed Indigenous language and culture, and left generational trauma that continues to this day,” said Senator Schatz, chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “Untangling this complex history will be difficult, but in partnership with Native survivors and relatives, our bill will help us take a first step towards righting this historic wrong. I look forward to moving quickly to consider this bill in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.”

“The Indian Boarding School Policies were inhumane, unjust, and racist policies designed to terminate and forcibly assimilate Native culture and communities,” said Senator Markey. “The Truth and Healing Commission will be a critical step forward in not only recognizing the truth of our nation’s horrific past but supporting the healing of countless Native people and tribal communities who have suffered this intergenerational trauma. I am proud to support this legislation and work in partnership with native people in Massachusetts, and across the nation, as we address this historic wrong.” 

“For centuries, the U.S. government sought to eliminate Tribal communities and their cultures. The U.S. Indian Boarding School Policies, which forcibly removed Native children from their communities in an effort to erase Native cultures and languages, devastated communities and caused horrific generational trauma. Establishing the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Policy is a step towards healing and will help provide long overdue answers to Native communities,” said Senator Smith.

“Our country must reckon with the deeply painful history of Indian boarding school policies that caused irreparable damage to Native communities.  We must understand and fully acknowledge the federal government’s attempts to eradicate Native cultures, religions, and languages, often by violating the rights of Native communities,” said Senator Durbin. “I’m signing on to the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States Act to ensure that Indian boarding school policies are properly investigated and to aid Native American families as they heal from the trauma inflicted by our nation’s shameful history.”

“The harsh and inhumane treatment inflicted upon Native communities throughout our nation’s history remains a painful scar. This legislation is a crucial step towards us acknowledging and reckoning with that dark chapter,” said Senator Booker. “The creation of the Truth and Healing Commission would finally offer a much-needed platform to investigate past injustices, give survivors a chance to share their stories, and address the enduring trauma suffered by Native families and communities that persists to this day.”

“Centuries of horrific injustices against Native American Tribes and their children are constantly overlooked in the teaching of our nation’s history. Justice requires acknowledgement of that history and healing for the descendants of that legacy of injustice—we must reckon with our past,” said Senator Merkley. “Creating a commission that will examine the human rights violations that took place at Indian boarding schools is a necessary step to begin to atone for the resulting and enduring intergenerational trauma.”

“Arizona’s 22 federally recognized tribes enrich our state in unique and valuable ways. This commission will hold the federal government accountable for harmful policies against native children and identify ways to ensure healthy learning environments that protect and honor native cultures,” said Senator Sinema.

“Indian boarding schools were a tragic chapter in U.S. history, and we must confront these abuses and support the many tribal communities who were targeted,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I am proud to support the creation of the Truth and Healing Commission and will continue to work with Nevada’s Stewart Indian School and Native organizations across the country to help address these past injustices and stand up for Indigenous children and families across the country.”

“The legacy of the Federal Indian Boarding School era is a stain on our nation’s history. Native communities and Tribal Nations today continue to bear the scars inflicted by the federal government and it’s time for us to a take steps to make amends,” said Senator Luján.“I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce this legislation to begin the reconciliation process for the boarding school era with our Native brothers and sisters.”

“As representatives of the U.S. government, it is our shared responsibility to make right the wrongs done to Native peoples across Colorado and the country, and we have a long way to go to do so. This legislation to establish a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies is a good first step toward addressing the horrific abuse and trauma inflicted on Native children at Indian boarding schools and the lasting effect it has had on Native communities to this day,” said Senator Bennet.

“Establishing a formal Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools is long overdue,” said Senator Heinrich. “As we continue our work to support Tribal sovereignty, Native language revitalization, and self-determination in education, the federal government also needs to fully acknowledge the trauma inflicted by U.S. Indian Boarding School policies.”

Related Issues: Alaska Natives & Rural Alaska

Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

05.24.23

Cantwell Hosts Fentanyl Crisis Roundtable

First responders, community leaders, people personally impacted by the crisis share experiences

TACOMA, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) held a roundtable discussion with first responders, community leaders, and people recovering from addiction about the fentanyl crisis.

“Joining Mayor Woodards to hear from the people who are living with the fentanyl crisis every single day – including people in recovery, behavioral health specialists, community support providers, and law enforcement was invaluable,” said Sen. Cantwell. “The best solutions often come from the people on the front line, and this is no different. Our communities need more tools to fight this scourge, and we need a task force approach that brings all our resources to bear on this epidemic.”

Participants included Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards; people personally impacted by the fentanyl crisis; and representatives from Tacoma Health Department, Recovery Café, Tacoma Fire Department, Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County District Court, Elevate Health, Tacoma Needle Exchange, the Puyallup Tribe, and the Tahoma Indian Center. The roundtable took place at Comprehensive Life Resources, a certified community behavioral health clinic in Tacoma.

In Pierce County, opioid-related overdose is now the most common cause of accidental death according to the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, outnumbering motor-vehicle collisions and firearm deaths. There has been an 81.8% increase in Pierce County fentanyl related deaths, comparing the first half of 2022 to 2021.

Preliminary data released last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that the State of Washington experienced the second highest increase among U.S. states in reported drug overdose deaths from 2021 to 2022, an increase of 21.4%.  Nationwide, drug overdose deaths are projected to reach 109,680.

###

Source: United States Senator for Maryland Chris Van Hollen

May 24, 2023

Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) led 14 of their colleagues in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas urging the Administration to ensure equal treatment of all U.S. citizens – regardless of ethnicity, national origin, and religion – is upheld within the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), as the Administration considers Israel’s candidacy to join the program. The Senators’ letter underscores their support for Israel’s candidacy so long as Israel meets the reciprocity and other legal requirements of the program. The letter outlines some of the changes needed for Israel to come into compliance with the VWP’s reciprocity and equal treatment requirements and seeks assurances regarding how the Administration will measure compliance with those requirements should Israel be admitted to the VWP.

The VWP is a form of partnership that currently exists between the United States and selected other countries that allows citizens of those countries to travel to the U.S. for up to 90 days without visas and U.S. citizens to receive reciprocal visa-free treatment when traveling to those participating countries. Senators Van Hollen and Schatz were joined in sending the letter by Senators Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Tom Carper (D-Del.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). A copy of the letter was also sent to the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Thomas Nides.

“We write today regarding the ongoing negotiations to assist Israel in its efforts to meet the requirements necessary to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). As longtime supporters of the U.S.-Israel relationship, we support Israel’s candidacy to join the VWP once it meets all of the requirements established by law including, as stated in 8 U.S. Code 1187, the requirement for reciprocal treatment of all U.S. citizens. We look forward to working with you to determine what measures Israel needs to implement in order to come into compliance and be found eligible to join the program,” the Senators begin.

“Each potential VWP member country faces different challenges, but all candidate countries must meet the standards for accession to the program. As Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas, Ambassador Nides and others in the Administration have repeatedly made clear, our standard is that “blue is blue” — meaning “equal treatment and freedom of travel for all U.S. citizens regardless of national origin, religion, or ethnicity.” Based on past experience and current policies and practices, significant changes will be needed for Israel to come into compliance with this requirement,” they continue.

The Senators cite State Department guidance that, “some U.S. citizens of Arab or Muslim heritage (including Palestinian-Americans) have experienced significant difficulties and unequal and occasionally hostile treatment at Israel’s borders and checkpoints.” They go on to detail current Israeli policies and practices in which U.S. citizens are not treated equally, including requiring a specific permit to enter Israel for those holding a Palestinian ID and restricting the movement of U.S. citizens holding a Palestinian ID. The Senators state, “In sum, these various conditions violate the ‘blue is blue’ requirement of equal treatment for the Visa Waiver Program by discriminating against U.S. citizens traveling to or through Israel based on their ethnicity, national origin or religion.”

They additionally note statements from Secretary Mayorkas, Ambassador Nides, State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, and State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel that show the same conclusion and write, “We appreciate the Administration’s stated position that, in order to be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, Israel must meet the requirements of reciprocity and equal treatment for all U.S. citizen travelers to Israel and/or the West Bank. To date, however, we have seen no statements from the Government of Israel regarding actions or intentions to change current practices and policies that negatively impact U.S. citizens on the basis of their religion, national origin, or ethnicity, especially in the case of Palestinian-Americans or Arab Americans. Every country, of course, has the right to establish its own rules for the entry of foreigners. However, if a country wants the privilege of participating in our Visa Waiver Program, it does not have the right to discriminate against U.S. citizens.”

The Senators close the letter with a series of questions seeking the Administration’s commitment to equal treatment for U.S. citizens for those countries in the VWP and specifically inquire as to what mechanisms are in place to ensure these commitments are upheld.

The full text of the letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretaries Blinken and Mayorkas:

We write today regarding the ongoing negotiations to assist Israel in its efforts to meet the requirements necessary to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP). As longtime supporters of the U.S.-Israel relationship, we support Israel’s candidacy to join the VWP once it meets all of the requirements established by law including, as stated in 8 U.S. Code 1187, the requirement for reciprocal treatment of all U.S. citizens. We look forward to working with you to determine what measures Israel needs to implement in order to come into compliance and be found eligible to join the program.

Reciprocity and Equal Treatment for All U.S. Citizens

Each potential VWP member country faces different challenges, but all candidate countries must meet the standards for accession to the program. As Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas, Ambassador Nides and others in the Administration have repeatedly made clear, our standard is that “blue is blue” — meaning “equal treatment and freedom of travel for all U.S. citizens regardless of national origin, religion, or ethnicity.” Based on past experience and current policies and practices, significant changes will be needed for Israel to come into compliance with this requirement. 

The U.S. Department of State proactively alerts a specific sub-set of U.S. citizen travelers that they can expect disparate treatment when traveling to Israel based on their national origin, ethnicity, or religion. On the Travel.State.Gov website “Country Information” section for Israel, specific information is provided for U.S. citizens of Arab and Palestinian descent, stating that “some U.S. citizens of Arab or Muslim heritage (including Palestinian-Americans) have experienced significant difficulties and unequal and occasionally hostile treatment at Israel’s borders and checkpoints.”

In addition to these concerns, a number of existing Israeli policies and practices negatively impact U.S. citizens based on their ethnicity, religion, and national origin. The Israeli permit regime, a long-standing mix of civil and military law, restricts the movement of any U.S. citizen who also holds a Palestinian ID. Under current policies dictated by the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli Defense unit overseeing the West Bank, U.S.-Palestinian dual citizens are required to apply for a permit to enter or exit Israel for any reason, including for travel via Ben Gurion Airport. As stated on the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs website on border crossings, Ben Gurion Airport is “intended for all citizens from around the world, except for the Palestinian population” who are not allowed to use Israel’s primary international airport without a permit. U.S. citizens must use their Palestinian passport “even if there is foreign citizenship. A Palestinian passport takes priority over a foreign passport.” Other U.S. citizens are not required to obtain such a permit.

Absent a permit, U.S.-Palestinian dual citizens must instead travel to and from the West Bank  overland via Jordan, using the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge border crossing — a trip requiring extra time, cost, and inconvenience. The State Department includes on their website that “individuals registered in the Palestinian Authority population registry — regardless of other nationality, including U.S. citizenship, or place of residence, including those whom Israeli authorities believe may have a claim to a Palestinian ID card are prohibited from entering Israel” without first applying for an entry permit. These restrictions “may apply even if an individual is not aware of being listed on the PA population registry, does not possess a Palestinian ID card, and does not desire such status.” These conditions clearly violate the “blue is blue” requirement as they discriminate against U.S. citizens traveling to Israel based on their ethnicity or national origin.

Even when a U.S. citizen is permitted to visit Israel, their travel through Israel to the West Bank may still be prevented. The State Department advises that some U.S. citizen travelers to Israel are not allowed to visit the Palestinian areas on the West Bank and are required by Israeli authorities to “sign declarations stating their understanding that ‘all relevant legal actions’ would be taken against them, ‘including deportation and denial of entry into Israel for a period of up to ten years,’ if they traveled through the country to Palestinian Authority-controlled areas without appropriate authorization.” These same restrictions do not exist for U.S. citizens visiting Jewish settlements on the West Bank.

In sum, these various conditions violate the “blue is blue” requirement of equal treatment for the Visa Waiver Program by discriminating against U.S. citizens traveling to or through Israel based on their ethnicity, national origin or religion.

Blue is Blue

None of the 40 countries currently participating in the Visa Waiver Program apply such discriminatory laws, policies, and practices against certain groups of U.S. citizens. To do so would violate the “blue is blue” requirement for participating countries. That’s why on January 30, Secretary Mayorkas said, “We will continue to work with the Government of Israel as it works to fulfill all the remaining program requirements, one of which is for Israel to provide equal treatment and freedom of travel for all U.S. citizens regardless of national origin, religion, or ethnicity — for example, Arab-Americans, including Palestinian-Americans — seeking to enter or transit through Israel.”

On that same day, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides tweeted “blue means blue,”and posted a video on Twitter where he said, “Reciprocity is a requirement. In fact, freedom of travel is the fundamental basis of the visa waiver program. So what do I mean by reciprocity? It means Israelis coming to the U.S. as tourists can enter the U.S.? Yes. Without visas? Yes. It also means that any American, regardless of their national origin, religion, ethnicity, will be able to travel to Israel. For example: Arab Americans, including Palestinian-Americans, will be able to get on a plane in New York or Detroit and fly directly to Ben-Gurion Airport. You can then go visit your aunt in Bethlehem, all on your blue American passport.”

State Department Spokesman Ned Price echoed these sentiments, saying in a press briefing, “If Israelis are able to travel to the United States visa-free, then Americans would and should and must be allowed unhindered access to Ben Gurion Airport, for example. That would apply to Palestinian Americans. Anyone who has a blue passport would be able to travel to and from Israel, landing in Ben Gurion, and going to a place like Deir Dibwan, going to a place like Ramallah, unimpeded.” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel defined reciprocity for all U.S. citizens: “At this time, Israel does not meet all of the Visa Waiver Program eligibility requirements. The U.S. Government is continuing to work with Israel towards fulfilling those requirements, such as, for example, extending reciprocal privileges to all U.S. citizens and nationals, including Palestinian Americans and Arab Americans to travel to and through Israel. And this includes Americans on the Palestinian population registry as well.”

We appreciate the Administration’s stated position that, in order to be eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, Israel must meet the requirements of reciprocity and equal treatment for all U.S. citizen travelers to Israel and/or the West Bank. To date, however, we have seen no statements from the Government of Israel regarding actions or intentions to change current practices and policies that negatively impact U.S. citizens on the basis of their religion, national origin, or ethnicity, especially in the case of Palestinian-Americans or Arab Americans. Every country, of course, has the right to establish its own rules for the entry of foreigners. However, if a country wants the privilege of participating in our Visa Waiver Program, it does not have the right to discriminate against U.S. citizens.

While we would like to see Israel meet the program requirements for entry into the VWP before the September 30th deadline, it does not appear to be on a path to do so. We request your response to the questions below.

1. Do you agree that, under a Visa Waiver Program, ALL U.S. citizens, regardless of ethnicity, national origin or religion, should be able to travel freely and without limitation to Israel and/or all parts of the West Bank for 90 days for all the purposes enumerated under the program?

2. Do you agree that, under a Visa Waiver Program, a U.S. citizen entering Israel and traveling to a Palestinian town on the West Bank should be treated no differently than a U.S. citizen entering Israel and traveling to a Jewish settlement on the West Bank or to any other place on the West Bank, including being allowed to use the same point of entry?

3. Do you agree that Israel must enact and implement changes to the COGAT policies as they apply to any U.S. citizen traveler and any other measures that violate the equal treatment requirements prior to admission into the Visa Waiver Program?

4. What mechanisms have you put in place to ensure that, if Israel is admitted into the Visa Waiver Program, the U.S. can monitor compliance with the reciprocity and equal treatment requirements of the Program? Given the State Department’s awareness of the history of discrimination against certain groups of U.S. citizen travelers to Israel, will you implement a system to receive and document reports from those who may experience discriminatory treatment? What other mechanisms do you plan to implement to ensure compliance with the equal treatment requirements?

5. If countries in the Visa Waiver Program do not comply with the reciprocity and equal treatment requirements, what is the mechanism in place to remove them from the program? If one does not exist, what steps need to be taken to hold countries accountable for violating the rules of reciprocity? 

Given the timeline on this matter, we look forward to your prompt written response and respectfully request a briefing on these issues from the appropriate members of your staff within two weeks.

Thank you.

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

---

---

Previous Article

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

---

---

Previous Article

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse

05.24.23

Legislation would protect women’s access to affordable over-the-counter birth control

Washington, DC – As extremist Republican state legislatures and right-wing, GOP-appointed judges and justices step up their assault on a woman’s right to reproductive freedom, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined with Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and 23 of their Senate colleagues to reintroduce the Affordability is Access Act.  The bicameral legislation would ensure that women in Rhode Island and across the nation have affordable access to FDA-approved over-the-counter birth control without a prescription.

“At a time when Republicans are making it harder for women to access health care, including contraception, this critical legislation would ensure that women are able to access affordable, FDA-approved birth control, whether by prescription or over-the-counter.  Contraception is health care and every woman deserves to make their own private medical decisions,” said Senator Reed. 

“Women’s reproductive rights are under threat like never before from GOP governors, state legislatures, and right-wing judges and justices.  These extremists have made clear that their attack on women’s rights won’t stop with abortion care, and they’ve already set their sights on curbing contraception access,” said Senator Whitehouse.  “If the FDA decides to make birth control more accessible to women by offering it over the counter, Congress should make sure it can still be covered by insurance.”

Under the Affordable Care Act, all private health insurance plans are required to fully cover—without copays or out-of-pocket costs—all U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved, granted, or cleared methods of contraception.  The Affordability is Access Act would ensure that once the FDA approves routine, daily use of oral birth control without a prescription, private health insurance plans would be required to cover over-the-counter birth control without any out-of-pocket costs to the patient.

The Affordability is Access Act:

• Ensures coverage of all contraception that the FDA has approved or regulated for routine, daily use without a prescription.
• Maintains the FDA’s sole authority to determine the safety and efficacy of drugs and make them available over-the-counter without a prescription. 
• Entities that research and develop contraceptives must apply to the FDA for review and approval for sale without a prescription.
• Upon the receipt of such an application, the FDA must determine whether the contraceptive product meets the rigorous safety, efficacy, and quality standards for over-the-counter use, as established by the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
• If the product meets these standards, the FDA should approve the application without delay.
• Requires retailers to provide OTC contraception without a prescription. 
• The Affordability is Access Act states that any retailer that stocks contraception that the FDA has approved or regulated for routine, daily use without a prescription may not interfere with a consumer’s access to or purchase of such contraception.

The introduction comes after the FDA Advisory Committee’s unanimous vote this month recommending that FDA move forward to approve the first-ever application for over-the-counter birth control.  Recent polling has found that nearly 8 in 10 voters have a favorable view of birth control pills and more than 7 in 10 support making the pill available over-the-counter.

The legislation is led by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and is also cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).  Representatives Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Ami Bera, MD (D-CA) led the companion legislation in the House.

The Affordability is Access Act is endorsed by: Contraceptive Access Initiative (CAI), National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association (NFPRHA), National Health Law Program, Upstream USA, Reproductive Health Access Project, American Humanist Association, Physicians for Reproductive Health, National Partnership for Women & Families, Healthy Teen Network, Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health, The National Organization for Women, NARAL Pro-Choice America, The American College of Nurse-Midwives, Coalition to Expand Contraceptive Access (CECA), The Guttmacher Institute, Power to Decide, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, The National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH), National Coalition of STD Directors, Ibis Reproductive Health, Population Connection Action Fund, The Center for Biological Diversity, National Council of Jewish Women, Collaborative, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, National Women’s Law Center, American Public Health Association, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Advocates for Youth, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, The Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Catholics for Choice, and In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda.

Read the full text of the Affordability is Access Act here.

Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Sheldon Whitehouse

Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

NASHVILLE, TENN. – Days after the expiration of Title 42 intensified the lawless situation at the southern border, U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), and Representative Buddy Carter (R-Ga-01) reintroduced legislation to counteract the Biden administration’s refusal to enforce U.S. immigration laws.

The Empowering Law Enforcement Act would grant state and local law enforcement inherent immigration enforcement authority to investigate, identify, apprehend, arrest, detain, or transfer an illegal immigrant who has entered the U.S. Additionally, this legislation would provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary flexibility on how long a criminal alien may be detained, extending the 180-day period to ensure violent criminals are not released back into communities.

“Biden’s open border agenda has created an unprecedented crisis at our southern border,” said Senator Blackburn. “Amid this disaster, we must equip state and local law enforcement with the tools they need to stem the mass influx of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. This bill ensures that even in sanctuary cities, where federal immigration officials have their hands tied, state and local officers can enforce immigration laws. Border Patrol is overwhelmed, and the Empowering Law Enforcement Act will give them the backup they desperately need to secure the border.”

“With the Biden administration ignoring federal law and facilitating historic levels of illegal immigration, we should give state and local law enforcement the authority to keep their communities safe,” said Senator Tuberville. “The Empowering Law Enforcement Act gives state and local officers the ability to enforce immigration laws when federal officers are prohibited from doing so. It also would extend the detention period for dangerous criminal aliens. The Biden administration has opened up our border and undermined our law enforcement — this bill would bring that to an end.”

“Like all our law enforcement officers right now, thanks to the dangerous ‘defund the police’ movement, our border patrol agents are overworked and are not properly resourced or supported,” said Representative Carter. “This bill will empower law enforcement to enforce immigration laws, even in sanctuary cities, so that they can keep our communities safe and restore law and order. With the recent influx in border crossings due to the expiration of Title 42, this is an all hands on deck situation.”

Specifically, the Empowering Law Enforcement Act would:

1. Give immigration enforcement authority to state and local law enforcement entities, including the ability to investigate, identify, apprehend, arrest, detain, or transfer an alien into federal custody.
2. Ensure that illegal immigrants are detained in federal custody upon state or local law enforcement request.
3. Reimburse state or local authorities for related incarceration and transportation costs.
4. Permit the Secretary of Homeland Security to extend the detention of criminal aliens until removal from the U.S.
5. Promote immigration information sharing between DHS and the FBI for the benefit of state and local law enforcement. 

The legislation is endorsed by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

“FAIR supports the Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2023, and believes now is the time to provide more tools to state and local law enforcement officers who are bearing the burden of our border crisis and mass illegal immigration surges,” said FAIR.

Click here for bill text.