Category: US Senate

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In Case You Missed It: Capito, Heinrich Celebrate Committee Passage of Bipartisan SOAR Act

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Last week, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) celebrated the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s passage of their bipartisan Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act, legislation to improve the permitting process for outfitters, educational organizations, and community groups to access public land. The legislation was included in the America’s Outdoor Recreation Act and will now be considered by the full Senate for final passage.

“Making it easier to explore and enjoy the incredible beauty of our public lands is a key priority, especially right here in West Virginia,” Senator Capito said. “I’m so glad to see the committee pass the SOAR Act, which reduces bureaucratic red tape and makes commonsense changes to current permitting requirements that sometimes discourage outfitters from utilizing our public lands and, in turn, constrain economic development in these areas. These changes to federal public lands regulations would not only help support outdoor recreation, but also benefit the local communities and economies they support.”

“I am pleased that the Committee is moving forward with our legislation to make it easier for families, schools, and community groups to get outside and enjoy our public lands,” Senator Heinrich said. “Our public lands are where we go to camp under the stars, chase bugling elk, or fish for trout in a mountain stream. As a former guide myself, I know from experience how paperwork and bureaucracy can get in the way of getting outside. This legislation will streamline that paperwork to help small businesses and outdoor enthusiasts better access and enjoy our public lands and continue to grow economic development through outdoor recreation.”

The SOAR Act streamlines and improves the recreational permitting process for federal agencies:

  • Improves the process for issuing recreation permits by directing the agencies to eliminate duplicative processes, reduce costs, and shorten processing times.
  • Increases flexibility for outfitters, guides and other outdoor leaders by allowing them to engage in activities that are substantially similar to the activity specified in their permit.
  • Increases system transparency by directing agencies to notify the public when new recreation permits are available and requiring the agencies to provide timely responses to permit applicants.
  • Creates a pilot program for agencies to issue a single joint permit covering the lands of multiple agencies for trips involving more than one land management agency.
  • Reduces permit fees and cost recovery expenses for small businesses and organizations creating a de minimis exemption for cost recovery and requiring the proration of costs that apply to multiple permits.
  • Reduces barriers to access for state universities, city recreation departments, and school districts by waiving the permit indemnification requirement for entities that are prohibited from providing indemnification under state law.

The bill was also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Angus King (I-Maine), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Steven Daines (R-Mont.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.).

The SOAR Act is supported by a wide range of organizations, including the Wilderness Society, American Mountain Guides Association, The Mountaineers, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, and the Outdoor Industry Association.

 Read the full text of the bill here. 

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Kennedy urges Durbin to de-politicize Judiciary Committee, return focus to border crisis, fentanyl epidemic

Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, joined Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-S.C.) and all other Judiciary Republicans in urging Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the committee’s chairman, to refocus the committee on addressing the most pressing issues facing Americans.

Instead, Judiciary Committee Democrats are forcing members to participate in a partisan effort to destroy the credibility of the Supreme Court and “weaponize the powers of the Committee in a political campaign of partisan destruction.” 

The letter comes after Durbin led Judiciary Democrats in demanding information from Harlan Crow, a private citizen, related to travel and hospitality provided to a Supreme Court Justice.

“We write with grave concerns about your demands. Consistent with its Article I power and the Rules of the Senate, the Committee must have a legitimate legislative purpose for its inquiry into Mr. Crow’s affairs, and the scope of the inquiry must be reasonably related to its purpose. There appears to be neither here,” wrote the senators.

“Your requests appear misaligned and political.  Further, they only target conservative members of the Supreme Court. To start, your letters claim that you believe ‘private access’ to justices—seemingly when justices socialize with anyone not on the Court—‘creates an appearance of undue influence that undermines the public’s trust in the Court’s impartiality.’ But judges, justices, politicians, and other public figures engage with friends in private settings every day—just as anyone else,” they continued. 

“We urge you to withdraw your May 8th letters to Mr. Crow and his entities and to refocus the Judiciary Committee’s efforts on legitimate inquiries. With the country confronting a fentanyl epidemic and a crisis on our border due to illegal immigration, there are many issues worthy of this Committee’s time and efforts,” the senators concluded.

The full letter, which also cites relevant case law and numerous instances of hospitality received by justices that Democrats favor, is available here. 

Kennedy’s recent defense of the Supreme Court in Judiciary Committee hearings can be viewed here and here.

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Wyden, Ross Announce Bill to Stop Judge Shopping and Prevent Rogue Judges From Wielding Undue Power Over Millions of Americans

Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

May 24, 2023

Legislation comes after judge shopping in Texas mifepristone ruling

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and U.S. Representative Deborah Ross, D-N.C., today announced the Fair Courts Act, legislation that makes it more difficult for litigants to seek out specific judges to guarantee their preferred outcome and requires a panel of judges to preside over cases that seek nationwide relief. 

“It’s fundamentally unjust for a special interest group to play hopscotch with American courts in search of one biased judge predisposed to rule for them. And it’s alarming that one rogue judge in Amarillo, Texas – or anywhere – can make sweeping decisions that could harm millions of Americans. No single judge should have this kind of power,” said Wyden. “Today, we’re talking about mifepristone, tomorrow it could be birth control. Judge shopping is unfair and un-American. It’s time to restore fairness to our courts.”

“The dangers of judge shopping were on full display in Judge Kacsmaryk’s unprecedented mifepristone ruling out of Texas,” said Ross, Vice Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. “America was founded on the principle of equal justice under law, and the impartiality of judges and our court system is paramount to that fundamental promise. Nobody should have the power to choose who decides their case, especially when the ruling will have widespread consequences for all Americans. The Fair Courts Act would strengthen our justice system by limiting both the power of parties to choose individual judges and the power of individual judges to issue nationwide relief.”

There has been a rising trend of activist plaintiffs seeking to tip the scale in their favor by targeting partisan judges who will further their political causes, in an attempt to receive a favorable ruling for their case – a practice known as “judge shopping.” This tactic has been used in many high-profile cases to seek nationwide injunctions against the federal government or set aside the rules established by federal agencies. It was most recently used by anti-abortion litigants who strategically brought a case before a judge in Amarillo, Texas who they knew would rule in their favor as they sought to limit access to the abortion medication mifepristone. While injunctions can be useful tools to prevent harm when constitutional rights are violated or agencies act outside their authority, it also leaves room for abuse when left in the hands of politically-motivated judges. 

The Fair Courts Act addresses the weaponization of the court system by:

  • Prohibiting a district court from granting nationwide relief unless the request is heard by a panel of three judges. This prevents a rogue district judge from making sweeping decisions that could harm millions of Americans, while still allowing for relief to be granted when it is warranted to prevent harm.

  • Reining in the ability for litigants to hand pick specific judges to guarantee their preferred outcome, a practice known as “judge shopping,” by requiring certain cases filed in a federal court to be randomly assigned to judges within the district or state where the case was filed.

  • Increasing transparency in the way that cases are assigned to judges by requiring this information to be made available on the district court’s website. 

Ross will introduce the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives today, and Wyden will introduce the legislation next week when the U.S. Senate is back in session.

A one-pager summary of the legislation can be found here.

A section-by-section summary of the legislation can be found here.

Bill text can be found here.

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Klobuchar, Warren, Hirono Lead Group of 10 Senators to Call on Google for Answers After Recent Reports that the Company Isn’t Upholding Commitment to Delete Sensitive Location Data

Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

Earlier this year, Klobuchar, Warren, and Hirono introduced legislation to expand protections for Americans’ personal health and location data privacy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Edward Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Patty Murray (D-WA) called on Google for answers after recent reporting revealed that the company is not consistently upholding its commitment to delete sensitive location data, leaving data about revealing personal health care decisions at risk and potentially allowing the data to be used to advertise services that may be harmful.

“Last July, Google rightly noted that location data can be very personal and announced that it would delete entries of sensitive locations from the Location History feature ‘in the coming weeks.’ The locations included in the announcement included counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, and addiction treatment facilities,” the Senators wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. “Now, over 10 months after this announcement, reporters for the Washington Post visited hospitals, fertility clinics, and Planned Parenthood clinics in multiple states and found instances where Google stored the exact name and address of the location visited (e.g. ‘Planned Parenthood – San Francisco Health Center’).”

“Another report found that Google failed to delete sensitive location data in nearly 60 percent of test cases over the last several months,” the Senators continued. “Claiming and publicly announcing that Google will delete sensitive location data, without consistently doing so, could be considered a deceptive practice.”

As Chairwoman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights, Klobuchar has long led efforts to protect consumers’ privacy, especially regarding sensitive health data.  

In March, Klobuchar, Warren, and Hirono introduced the Upholding Protections for Health and Online Location Data (UPHOLD) Privacy Act to prevent companies from using personally identifiable health data for advertising purposes. The bill would also allow consumers greater access to and ownership over their personal health information, restrict companies’ ability to collect or use information about personal health without user consent, and ban data brokers from buying and selling location data.

In February, Klobuchar and Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) called on three telehealth companies to protect their patients’ sensitive health data, expressing their concern over reports that these online health companies are tracking and sharing their customers’ personally identifiable health data with social media platforms for advertising purposes.

In May 2022, Klobuchar and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to protect the data privacy of women seeking reproductive health care.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Mr. Pichai,

We write to express our concern that Google is not upholding its commitment to delete sensitive location data, particularly when it can reveal private health care decisions. This data is extremely personal and includes information about reproductive health care. We are also concerned that it can be used to target advertisements for services that may be unnecessary or potentially harmful physically, psychologically, or emotionally. 

Last July, Google rightly noted that location data can be very personal, and announced that it would delete entries of sensitive locations from the Location History feature “in the coming weeks.” The locations included in the announcement included counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, abortion clinics, fertility centers, and addiction treatment facilities. 

Now, over 10 months after this announcement, reporters for the Washington Post visited hospitals, fertility clinics, and Planned Parenthood clinics in multiple states and found instances where Google stored the exact name and address of the location visited (e.g. “Planned Parenthood – San Francisco Health Center”). In other cases, the location was shown as a nearby establishment or the general neighborhood, and sometimes the data was indeed deleted within 24 hours.  Another report found that Google failed to delete sensitive location data in nearly 60 percent of test cases over the last several months.  Claiming and publicly announcing that Google will delete sensitive location data, without consistently doing so, could be considered a deceptive practice.

We ask that you respond to the questions below by May 26, 2023:

  1. How do Google systems identify whether someone has visited a sensitive location? Please provide a complete list of metadata used to make this identification, and any supporting documents.
  2. Please provide a complete list of the types of locations Google considers to be sensitive, and thus eligible to be automatically deleted.
  3. A spokesperson for Google has stated that Google deletes entries for sensitive locations “soon after” a visit. For how long after a user visits a sensitive location does Google store an entry for the visit? When does Google delete the entry?
  4. Does Google allow advertisers to target ads based on sensitive location data that can reveal a user’s health information?
  5. Will you commit to consistently deleting sensitive location data that pertains to any type of reproductive care, mental health care, and addiction treatment within 24 hours of a user’s visit, on both the user’s device and Google servers? Will you agree to a third-party audit to verify that such a protocol has been successfully implemented?

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Cassidy, Schatz, Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reform Disaster Recovery

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Patty Murray (D-WA), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jon Tester (D-MT), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Todd Young (R-IN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) reintroduced legislation to help communities recover from major disasters. The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act would strengthen the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) disaster recovery program for states, local governments, and tribes.

“Red tape and delays are the last things you want to run into when recovering from disaster,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This legislation streamlines the process to get communities and families the resources they need, as soon as possible, to get back on their feet.”

“Right now, communities in crisis are forced to wait for Congress to pass a disaster funding bill before HUD can help. This bill changes the law so they no longer have to wait. As soon as a disaster strikes, communities can begin the process of recovery,” said Senator Schatz.

The bill addresses long-standing recommendations from the HUD Office of the Inspector General and Government Accountability Office to establish a permanent and predictable funding process. The bill accelerates assistance to disaster-impacted communities by:

  • Creating a disaster recovery fund to allow HUD to predictably assist communities;
  • Authorizing HUD to issue regulations to codify program requirements and reduce unnecessary red tape, delays, and unpredictability that stems from the current process;
  • Supporting resilience as a part of – rather than separate from – disaster recovery;
  • Authorizing “quick release” funds to support grantee capacity right after an event;
  • Improving federal coordination by establishing an office at HUD devoted to disaster recovery and resilience; and
  • Reducing unnecessary administrative burdens and interagency requirement conflicts.

“The Council of State Community Development Agencies (COSCDA) applauds reintroduction of the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act. As communities continue to experience major natural disasters, federal help is essential for rebuilding efforts and to mitigate against future events. The Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program (CDBG-DR) facilitates this critical assistance for long-term recovery,” said Dianne Taylor, Executive Director of COSCDA. “While CDBG-DR provides meaningful investments towards housing, infrastructure and related needs, the program experiences significant challenges including timeliness in assisting disaster victims. Program codification and related reforms are essential for improved performance and outcomes. The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act would streamline regulations, strengthen capacity and technical assistance, and enhance data availability among other key priorities. COSCDA supports these updates to accommodate more expedient and effective resources to populations in need.”

“Our nation’s disaster housing recovery system is fundamentally broken and in need of major reform. After each disaster, the lowest-income and most marginalized people and communities are left behind, putting households at increased risk of displacement and, in worst cases, homelessness and placing already disinvested communities at greater risk harm due to future disasters,” said Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “NLIHC and its Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition of nearly 900 local, state, and national organizations urge Congress to quickly enact the bipartisan Reforming Disaster Recovery Act as an important step towards ensuring critical federal recovery resources can efficiently and quickly reach those with the greatest, clearest needs.”

“BPC Action commends Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Patty Murray (D-WA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Jon Tester (D-MT), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Todd Young (R-IN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Alex Padilla (D-CA) for their leadership in reintroducing the bipartisan Reforming Disaster Recovery Act. This much needed legislation would permanently authorize HUD’s CDBG-DR program, helping HUD and disaster-impacted communities address unmet recovery needs more quickly and impactfully. This bill aligns with the goals of BPC’s task force on disaster response reform, formed in 2020, and advances a key priority of our Adaptation Working Group. With seven catastrophic disasters expected to cost over $1 billion and 30 FEMA major disaster declarations issued in just the first five months of 2023, Congress should not miss the opportunity to put such a critical source of disaster assistance on more permanent footing. BPC Action looks forward to working with the 118th Congress to enact this bill,” said Michele Stockwell, Executive Director of BPC Action.

The bill is supported by more than 40 organizations including BPC Action, Council of State Community Development Agencies, Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, National Community Development Association, and National Low Income Housing Coalition.

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Cassidy Discusses Flood Insurance Affordability in New Orleans

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

05.24.23

METAIRIE – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) participated in a roundtable hosted by Greater New Orleans (GNO), Inc. and the Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance on addressing Risk Rating 2.0 and making flood insurance affordable. He announced he will soon be reintroducing bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for five years and reform the program for long-term viability. 

“The high cost of flood insurance hurts everyone, but especially working families along our coast,” said Dr. Cassidy.“This is a human problem, not just an actuarial one. We need to pass legislation that keeps rates low and FEMA accountable.”

Cassidy’s NFIP Reauthorization and Reform Act improves the accountability, affordability, and sustainability of the NFIP. The bill will also place guardrails on FEMA’s new Risk Rating 2.0 system that stands to drastically increase Americans’ flood insurance premiums.

Risk Rating 2.0 increases premiums for almost 80% of policyholders and could push as many as 900,000 to cancel their flood insurance coverage, including about 100,000 in Louisiana. Additionally, an internal FEMA study shows that Risk Rating 2.0 could cause 20% of policyholders to drop out of the NFIP.

In addition to his recent legislation, Cassidy delivered a speech on the Senate floor demanding the Biden administration halt massive hikes to NFIP premiums caused by Risk Rating 2.0. He criticized FEMA for its lack of transparency and responsiveness, given its failure to respond to his October 2021 request for a briefing to discuss NFIP and Risk Rating 2.0. Last year, he introduced the Flood Insurance Pricing Transparency Act, which would require FEMA to disclose the formulas used to calculate mitigation credits for policyholders under Risk Rating 2.0.

Numerous civic and business leaders were present at the roundtable. Cassidy was also welcomed by Mr. Michael Hecht, President and CEO of GNO.

“The Coalition for Sustainable Flood Insurance commends Senator Cassidy for confronting Risk Rating 2.0’s burden on Louisianans, as well as communities and economies across the country,” said Mr. Hecht. “Senator Cassidy is a consistent champion of smart, sensible NFIP reauthorization with reform. Now, with Risk Rating 2.0’s consequences being more widely appreciated, CSFI and Senator Cassidy agree that NFIP reauthorization must occur urgently and concurrently with reform. Reform should prioritize transparency provisions – like a public-facing rate calculator and an appeals process – and affordability provisions – like a means-tested program and debt forbearance. Furthermore, considering Senator Cassidy’s leadership in infrastructure investment, it’s critical that authorized projects and programs are properly reflected in Risk Rating 2.0. The methodology should appropriately respect public and private investments that further mitigation, from home elevations to flood protection.” 

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Fischer on Ford Decision to Keep AM Radio in New Vehicles

Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer

LINCOLN, Neb. – U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, released the following statement after Ford announced it would reverse course and preserve access to AM broadcast radio in new vehicles:

“This is a good step in the right direction; other automakers should also reverse course. Millions of Americans rely on AM radio for news, weather, and emergency alerts. Congress should pass our bipartisan bill to ensure every car manufacturer follows Ford’s lead and keeps AM radio.”

Sen. Fischer joined her colleagues last week in introducing the AM for Every Vehicle Act. The bicameral, bipartisan bill would direct federal regulators to require automakers to maintain AM broadcast radio in their new vehicles at no additional charge.

A number of automakers have removed or announced plans to remove AM broadcast radio from some of their vehicles.

Click here for more information on the AM for Every Vehicle Act. 

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Young, Rubio Reintroduce Bill to Sanction Enablers of Palestinian Terrorist Groups

Source: United States Senator for Indiana Todd Young

May 24, 2023

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) reintroduced the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad International Terrorism Support Prevention Act to impose sanctions on foreign individuals, entities, and governments that provide support to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other Palestinian terrorist groups that just spent weeks launching more than 1,000 rockets at Israeli civilians in 2023.

“Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorist groups like Hamas,” said Senator Young. “I’m proud to support this legislation to cut off those in Iran and elsewhere who funnel support to their terrorist proxies in Gaza and the West Bank and send a clear message that the United States will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel.”

“As these terrorist groups continue to show no regard for the people of Israel, I’m proud to reintroduce this bill, which seeks to impose sanctions against foreign nationals and governments that are actively providing material support to these groups. We must hold accountable the individuals who are aiding Hamas terrorists and Palestinian Islamic Jihad,” said Senator Rubio.

Specifically, this bill would impose sanctions on foreign persons—or agencies of foreign states—that knowingly assist, sponsor, or provide significant support for the terrorist activities of Hamas or PIJ. Sanctions include asset freezes, denial of arms exports, denial of dual-use exports, prohibitions on major loans or financing from U.S. financial institutions, and denial of Export-Import Bank support. 

In addition to Senators Young and Rubio, Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) are original cosponsors.

“Terrorist organizations threaten the existence of our greatest ally: the Jewish State of Israel. We must hold those aiding terrorists accountable with stiff sanctions,” said Senator Cassidy.

“Israel is facing unyielding attacks from Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups. Rockets continue to rain down on innocent Israelis and America must make clear that we will always stand unapologetically with our great ally, Israel, and against all that wish it harm. I’m proud to support this legislation that strengthens our support for Israel with a strong show of force by imposing sanctions against individuals, entities and governments that fund some of the largest terrorist groups that attack Israel,” said Senator Scott.

“Our legislation will sanction those who support terrorism against Israel, while holding accountable those nations that do not take seriously the threats posed by Palestinian terrorist groups. Israel is one of America’s closest allies and deserves our support in countering these persistent threats to its security,” said Senator Hoeven.

“As Iran-backed terrorist groups continue to indiscriminately fire rockets in to Israel with the intent of killing civilians, the United States must do more to help our closest ally in the Middle East counter terrorist adversaries. That’s why I’m pleased to co-sponsor the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad International Terrorism Support Prevention Act, a critical bill to impose sanctions against foreign individuals and entities that financially support this terrorism,” said Senator Hagerty.

Full legislative text can be found here.

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Wyden Applauds DHS’s New Body Camera Policy

Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

May 24, 2023

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., applauded the Department of Homeland Security for releasing a new department-wide policy requiring use of body-worn cameras to improve accountability of DHS law enforcement personnel. The policy was recommended by DHS’s Law Enforcement Coordination Council, which was created following Wyden’s hold on the confirmation of former Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus in order to secure transparency and reforms following reports of abusive tactics by DHS personnel in Portland in 2020.

“The inappropriate use of force by federal agents in Portland during the summer of 2020 must never happen again. I’m glad to see DHS issue a new, department-wide policy to promote greater accountability by its personnel, which is essential to building public trust in a department with an unfortunate history of overstepping its authority. I will continue to watchdog how the department rolls out the policy, and to push DHS for additional reforms to ensure that federal agencies limit their use of force, uphold people’s civil rights and liberties, and aren’t hijacked for political ends.”

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Sen. Cramer Announces $7.5 Million to Enhance Grid Resilience

Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

BISMARCK—U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, announced the Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the state of North Dakota $7,499,037 through the first round of funds distributed from the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program which was part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

These funds will help modernize the electric grid by reducing the magnitude, duration, frequency, and impacts of grid outages caused by natural disasters and extreme weather conditions. Selected projects will ensure the reliability of our power sector and develop energy solutions to drive down energy costs for disadvantaged and underserved communities.

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