Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $1,441,613 in a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant for Louisiana.

“I am grateful that this $1.4 million will help protect folks’ homes, schools and businesses from flood damage in Caldwell Parish,” said Kennedy.

The FEMA aid will fund the following:

• $1,441,613 to Caldwell Parish to improve drainage capacity and mitigate flood damages to properties in Hurricane Creek.

Source: United States Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss)

WICKER, HYDE-SMITH WILL VOTE TO REPEAL BIDEN’S UNLAWFUL STUDENT DEBT POLICY

Senate Scheduled to Vote on Resolution of Disapproval Wednesday 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today reaffirmed that they will oppose President Biden’s student loan debt transfer scheme and will vote to approve a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res.45) that would overturn the President’s rule.

The CRA has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives.  Wicker and Hyde-Smith cosponsored the Senate version (S.J.Res.22).

“The president’s plan never had any legal footing, and it is an insult to working Americans who chose to avoid student debt or have repaid it in full,” Wicker said.  “This is not a ‘forgiveness’ plan.  It’s an unconditional debt transfer.  Repealing this scheme would protect our current workforce from footing someone else’s bill and teach our next generation that they cannot expect others to pay for their obligations.”

“President Biden is leading Americans to believe he can make student debt disappear because that sounds much nicer than the truth, which is that he is just handing over the burden of student loans to hardworking Americans who have either paid off their loans or chose not to borrow,” Hyde-Smith said.  “This legislation would block this socialist scheme and protect Mississippians from being forced to pay off someone else’s debts.”

The Mississippi Senators are among 48 Republican Senators who sponsored S.J.Res.22 after the Government Accountability Office announced that the policy is classified as a rule and eligible to be overturned under the CRA.  Both the Senate and House resolutions would stop Biden’s plan to transfer up to $20,000 in student loan debt per borrower onto taxpayers with no conditions, costing an estimated $400 billion.

In addition to repealing the President’s student loan debt “forgiveness” plan, the CRA would also end the pause on student loan payments, which costs taxpayers $5 billion a month and has been extended six times under the Biden administration.  The pause will have cost Americans a total of $195 billion by the time Biden’s most recent extension is set to expire in August.

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee passed legislation introduced by Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and a bipartisan group of their colleagues that would help position the United States as the undisputed international leader for nuclear energy technologies.

The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2023, which Capito led introduction of in March, passed out of the EPW Committee by a vote of 16-3.

“From both a national security and energy independence standpoint, America has everything to gain from being the world’s leader in nuclear energy, and today we took an important step forward in achieving that goal,” Ranking Member Capito said. “This legislation gives a major boost to a clean, reliable power generation source, and provides the tools needed for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to facilitate the development and deployment of new technologies here in the United States. I’m proud of the work that went into the ADVANCE Act and that the EPW Committee continues to demonstrate we can successfully collaborate in addressing critical issues like nuclear energy in a bipartisan way.”

Cosponsors of Capito, Carper, and Whitehouse’s bill include John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.).

“Investing in clean, reliable nuclear energy is essential to meeting our climate goals and advancing our economic and national security interests,” Chairman Carper said. “The ADVANCE Act will help provide the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with the tools and resources needed to ensure that the United States remains a world leader in safely deploying nuclear energy for decades to come. I applaud Senators Capito and Whitehouse, as well as our colleagues on the Environment and Public Works Committee for advancing this bipartisan nuclear legislation today. In addition, I look forward to working with our Senate colleagues to pass this legislation and send it to the President’s desk.”

“Investing in the next generation of nuclear energy will help lower carbon emissions and head off threats to our national and energy security,” Senator Whitehouse said.  “Thanks to Chairman Carper and Ranking Member Capito for working with me on this bipartisan effort to ensure the next generation of nuclear technology can be safely regulated, licensed, and competitively developed here in America, boosting our nation’s longstanding global leadership on nuclear energy.”

“Wyoming has played a key role in making our nation a global energy giant, including in the nuclear industry by leading the nation in uranium production,” Senator Lummis said. “We need to expand this reliable energy source, and strengthen and advance our nation’s nuclear energy capabilities. I’m thrilled the EPW Committee advanced this important legislation.”

“Today’s passage of this legislation by the Senate EPW Committee marks a critical milestone in our journey towards global leadership in nuclear energy technologies,” Senator Booker said. “Advanced nuclear energy has a critical role to play as we race against the clock to reduce carbon emissions. By supporting the development and deployment of these technologies, we can address climate change, enhance our energy security, and create new economic opportunities.”

“The United States must re-establish its historic global leadership in nuclear energy. Right now Russia and China are using nuclear energy to promote their interests and threaten the world. The free world is desperate for an alternative. The ADVANCE Act improves our energy security and grows the economy. It gives the world an American-made nuclear option,” Senator Barrasso said.

“The ADVANCE Act will play a critical role in boosting our nuclear energy capabilities, allowing the United States to reduce carbon emissions and fight climate change while becoming more energy independent,” Senator Warner said. “I am looking forward to passing this bipartisan legislation to maintain our status as a global leader in nuclear energy development.”

“The ADVANCE Act will help ensure American energy independence and security,” Senator Ricketts said. “It will facilitate America’s nuclear leadership, modernize current technology, and improve the environment. This legislation will benefit operating reactors like Nebraska’s own Cooper Nuclear Station and assist with decommissioning of reactors like Fort Calhoun.”

“I’m glad to see the bipartisan ADVANCE Act pass out of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee today,” Senator Coons said. “Nuclear power holds tremendous promise to deliver clean energy at scale while bolstering our energy security, reducing emissions, and supporting economic development, and this legislation will help the United States seize our opportunity to assert our global leadership in this field.”

“Idaho is home to the world-leading Idaho National Laboratory, a facility responsible for promoting international nuclear competitiveness through research, innovation and workforce development,” Senator Crapo said. “The ADVANCE Act shows bipartisan support for continuing our investment in nuclear energy—strengthening national security, diversifying our energy portfolio and growing the economy.”

“Carbon-free energy solutions for America and the world include nuclear energy. The more we can do to improve safety and encourage innovation of next-generation technology, the better it is for our communities and public health, our environment and economy,” Senator Cardin said.

“With the ADVANCE Act’s passage out of committee, we are one step closer to spurring the development and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies,” Senator Risch said. “Idaho’s own INL has long been a leader in nuclear research, and with this bill, we can further unlock nuclear’s vast clean energy potential.”

The ADVANCE Act would:

• Facilitate American Nuclear Leadership by:

• • Empowering the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to lead in international forums to develop regulations for advanced nuclear reactors.
  • Establishing a joint Commerce Department and Energy Department initiative to facilitate outreach to nations that are seeking to develop advanced nuclear energy programs.

• Develop and Deploy New Nuclear Technologies by:

• • Reducing regulatory costs for companies seeking to license advanced nuclear reactor technologies.
  • Creating a prize to incentivize the successful deployment of next-generation nuclear reactor technologies.
  • Requiring the NRC to develop a pathway to enable the timely licensing of nuclear facilities at brownfield sites.

• Preserve Existing Nuclear Energy by:

• • Modernizing outdated rules that restrict international investment.
  • Extending a long-established, indemnification policy necessary to enable the continued operation of today’s reactors and give certainty for capital investments in building new reactors.

• Strengthen America’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain Infrastructure by:

• • Directing the NRC to establish an initiative to enhance preparedness to qualify and license advanced nuclear fuels.
  • The bill identifies modern manufacturing techniques to build nuclear reactors better, faster, cheaper, and smarter.

• Authorize funds for Environmental Cleanup Programs by:

• • Authorizing funding to assist in cleaning up legacy abandoned mining sites on Tribal lands.

• Improve Commission Efficiency by:

• • Providing the NRC Chair the tools to hire and retain highly specialized staff and exceptionally well-qualified individuals to successfully and safely review and approve advanced nuclear reactor licenses. This is essential with the NRC staff under attrition pressure due to an aging workforce.
  • Requiring the NRC to periodically review and assess performance metrics and milestone schedules to ensure licensing can be completed on an efficient schedule.

Full text of the ADVANCE Act (S.1111) as passed out of committee can be found here.

A section-by-section can be found here.

A handout on the legislation can be found here.

A letter of support from additional coalitions can be found here.

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Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

PROVIDENCE, RI – What Cheer Flower Farm in Olneyville has $500,000 more reasons to cheer as it continues to remediate and redevelop a 2.7 acre site in Providence that used to be home to the Colonial Knife factory, but has sat vacant for years.

Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Seth Magaziner announced a $500,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to help What Cheer Flower Farm with the revitalization efforts to cleanup the formerly vacant site and turn it from an eye sore into a vibrant community asset.

Federal brownfields investments are designed to help provide local communities with financial assistance to transform abandoned, blighted properties into assets that attract business and community development.

What Cheer Flower Farm is a nonprofit that grows, rescues and gives away over 100,000 flowers annually to hospitals, hospices, food pantries, senior services, recovery centers, shelters, and people who could use a lift.  The organization also offers a variety of educational, cultural, mentorship, and job training programs.

Located along Magnolia Avenue, the What Cheer Flower Farm formerly housed a knife manufacturing company that was built in 1918 before going vacant.  The factory was found to be contaminated with metals, chlorinated volatile organic compounds, petroleum, and inorganic contaminants.  As a result of this contamination, the property’s soil does not allow for flowers to be grown in the ground.  Instead, flower beds with special soil have been built atop a geotextile surface.  The property also houses special areas where sage and eucalyptus trees can be grown in a protected environment.

Earlier this month, What Cheer Flower Farm began the demolition of vacant buildings on its Olneyville property, as part of its environmental remediation project that will transform the space into a headquarters for Rhode Island’s first nonprofit flower farm and job training site. 

The $500,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant, administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will help expedite the cleanup and support community outreach activities. 

The federal funding is made possible in large part through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which was signed by President Biden on November 15, 2021.  In 2021, Reed and Whitehouse voted to include a historic $1.5 billion boost to the Brownfields program in the IIJA.

“The landscape in Olneyville is changing and improving.  This federal brownfields funding will accelerate budding progress at What Cheer Flower Farm.  The farm and its volunteers have breathed new life into the derelict Colonial Knife site in Olneyville and transformed it into a thriving, inviting flower farm and community asset,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed.  “Rhode Island has had a great deal of brownfields successes and partnerships.  This is another great example of federal funding supporting community-driven revitalization In a way that helps deliver economic and environmental benefits.”

“The EPA’s Brownfields program continues to make important investments in communities across the Ocean State.  With this federal funding for environmental remediation, What Cheer Flower Farm in Olneyville will grow its mission of delivering free flowers to Rhode Islanders in need of a smile, and help stimulate the local economy,” said Senator Whitehouse.

“What Cheer Flower Farm brings so much joy to our community by growing flowers to give to hospitals, senior centers and more,” said Rep. Seth Magaziner. “I am proud to announce this federal funding that will help What Cheer Flower Farm to continue cleaning up this land and growing its beautiful flowers in a safe environment.”

“The Board and staff of What Cheer Flower Farm are grateful to our Congressional delegation, and for the EPA’s brownfield’s program grant, which will allow our organization to expand the production of flowers while growing the environmental, social, and economic capacity of the community that surrounds the farm,” said Shannon Brawley, Executive Director of What Cheer Flower Farm.

“Congratulations to the What Cheer Flower Farm for earning a $500,000 Brownfields cleanup grant this year,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this grant will be used to cleanup the site of an abandoned factory, which will help the flower farm expand operations and services in an underserved part of the City of Providence, providing flowers, greenspace and training to those who need it most.”

Overall, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act invested over $5 billion for superfund and brownfield projects to restore the economic vitality of communities that have been exposed to pollution for far too long.

Now that What Cheer Flower Farm has been awarded the federal grant, the next steps will include working with an environmental consultant to create an action plan for using the funds.  The plan will then be submitted to EPA for approval.

EPA is awarding federal brownfield grants to communities and nonprofits on a rotating basis to assess and clean up brownfield properties and provide technical assistance to restore sites to hubs of economic growth.

According to the EPA, every dollar invested in brownfield cleanup has been shown to yield nearly $19.78 in economic development benefits, including the creation of jobs cleaning up the sites, use of remediated sites for development, and increased property values in surrounding areas.

Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

WASHINGTON – Senator Mike Braun released the following statement about the debt ceiling deal which is expected to be voted on in the Senate this week.
 
“This deal makes our current bloated spending levels the new baseline going forward, setting us further down the path to financial ruin. We need deep spending cuts, and Congress shouldn’t get paid until we deliver a real budget that seriously addresses our massive debt. There’s more drama here than usual but sadly the play is going to end the same way: the big spenders in both parties getting together to increase the size of the federal government.”
 
Senator Mike Braun

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

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) announced the creation of a new Senate National Labs Caucus.

The National Lab Network conducts cutting-edge research to advance and deploy technologies that are critical to maintaining sustainable economic growth in the U.S. and safeguarding our national security. The Senate National Labs Caucus will coordinate with its counterpart in the U.S. House of Representatives to identify bicameral legislative opportunities that elevate the Labs’ visibility and meet national energy and security objectives.

Tennessee is home to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the world’s premier research institution comprised of over 5,800 scientists, engineers, technicians, and support staff. Their projects keep the United States on the cutting-edge, including their exascale computing system, Frontier, which debuted last May as the fastest in the world. 

“The Department of Energy’s network of 17 National Laboratories conduct cutting-edge research that is vital to maintaining US leadership in energy production, advanced computing, high-energy physics, nuclear security and non-proliferation, materials science, biosecurity, and countless other critical and emerging technology areas. This concentration of scientific expertise and infrastructure is unmatched anywhere else in the world,” said Co-Chairs Blackburn, Luján, Risch, and Durbin.

“As the U.S. navigates rapidly evolving energy markets and global defense landscape, the National Labs Caucus will ensure that a key component of our nation’s research capacity is focused on strategic, bipartisan priorities,” the Co-Chairs continued.

The Senate National Labs Caucus will serve as an open forum to identify bipartisan initiatives to maintain and extend U.S. leadership in critical scientific sectors.

The Dear Colleague Letter can be found here.

Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding student loans:

“This week, the Senate will have yet another opportunity to pump the brakes on Washington overreach using the Congressional Review Act.

“This time, we’re up against an especially ridiculous example of left-wing spending fantasy from the Biden Administration – student loan socialism.

“For years, higher education in this country has been a choice.

“Some American families choose to cash in hard work and diligent savings to earn a college degree. Some even volunteer for military service with the promise of tuition assistance.

“And millions of others choose to avoid taking on extra debt and to pursue their careers without going to college.

“It’s a choice that families got to make for themselves. But on President Biden’s watch, Washington Democrats have decided to try and take this choice away. The way the Biden Administration sees it, working Americans should foot the bill for advanced degrees whether they choose to pursue them or not.

“The Administration’s outrageous plan would shift hundreds of billions of dollars in debt from the doctors, lawyers, and other high-earning professionals who chose to incur it onto American taxpayers who wanted nothing to do with it.

“We’re talking about the highest-educated Americans. Folks who already take in higher salaries on average. Apparently, Democrats have surveyed the devastation of their reckless spending and runaway inflation and decided that these are the people who need their help the most.

“For the party behind a long list of egregious and pandering giveaways, student loan socialism just might take the cake. And the Supreme Court is deciding right now whether the whole thing is actually downright illegal!

“But this week, thanks to the leadership of Ranking Member Cassidy of the HELP Committee, along with Senator Cornyn and Senator Ernst, the Senate has a chance to intervene and stop this madness.

“Their resolution would overturn the Biden Administration’s attempt to pad the pockets of elite professionals with taxpayer dollars. I would urge each of our colleagues to support it.”

Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the debt limit:

“Back in February, as Speaker McCarthy waited for President Biden at the negotiating table, the Democratic Leader predicted the future.

“‘The side that’s unified has an upper hand.’

“Well, it’s safe to say that our colleague from New York was exactly right.

“House Republicans stood united behind Speaker McCarthy. They lined up behind the only legislation that addressed the debt limit and out-of-control government deficits.

“They committed to the direct negotiations that I said repeatedly were the only way to avoid default. And they secured an outcome that confronts Washington Democrats’ reckless spending in a serious way.

“Republicans stood united. They forced President Biden to do his job. And they reached an agreement that preserves the full faith and credit of the United States and starts getting its financial house in order.

“Along the way, the Speaker and his team notched important progress toward freeing American infrastructure from endless bureaucratic review. They put a dent in Washington Democrats’ campaign to stand up a new army of IRS agents. And they slapped actual costs on the Administration’s regulatory overreach.

“But here’s the bottom line:

“The Senate will have an opportunity very soon to pass legislation that reduces federal government spending by $1.5 trillion dollars over the next decade.

“That’s $1.5 trillion dollars that won’t be put on the American taxpayer’s tab. It’s a down payment on more progress that’s yet to come.

“House Republicans’ unity gave them the upper hand. And they used it to secure a much-needed step in the right direction.

“When this agreement reaches the Senate, I’ll be proud to support it without delay.”