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Source: United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona)

Sinema secured provisions removing invasive salt cedar trees from the Gila River in Congressionally-approved Water Resources Development Act

WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema secured a provision in the Congressionally-approved Water Resources Development Act that strengthens Arizona’s water supplies and addresses drought conditions through the removal of invasive salt cedars.
 
“Arizona’s future depends on securing our water supply. Eradicating salt cedars will restore our waterways and ensure Arizona has the resources to address drought conditions so we can continue expanding opportunities across our state,” said Sinema.
 
“The proliferation of Salt Cedars in the Gila River has turned our oasis in the desert to a wildfire and flood hazard.  Meanwhile the Salt Cedars have consumed millions of acre feet of water and crowded out native vegetation to the point where large sections of the Gila River are now monocultures that can’t support native wildlife. We are very grateful to Senator Sinema for introducing the Drought Relief Through Innovative Projects (DRIP) Act and its inclusion in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 (WRDA).  This legislation will serve Buckeye, the state of Arizona and the Southwest United States well.  Thank you Senator Sinema for your time and effort,” said City of Buckeye Mayor Eric Orsborn.
 
For decades, invasive salt cedar trees have depleted Arizona’s water resources, crowded out native plants, increased flood risks, and created a greater fire risk for Arizona communities, especially in Buckeye and other communities along the Gila River. Sinema ensured the bipartisan, Congressionally-approved Water Resources Development Act authorizes the US Fish and Wildlife Service to spend up to $10 million each year to remove and replace invasive plant species, prioritizing salt cedars, in riparian areas in the Lower Colorado River Basin. This language is inspired by Kyrsten’s DRIP Act, which authorizes a similar $10 million pilot program.

Source: United States Senator Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona)

In Congressionally-approved bipartisan water bill, Sinema secured a provision directing the Army Corps to finish its flood control plan for the Lower Santa Cruz river basin in Pinal County

WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema secured a provision in the Congressionally-approved bipartisan Water Resources Development Act that directs the Army Corps of Engineers to complete its flood control study and plan for the Lower Santa Cruz river basin in Pinal County.
 
“A flood control plan for the Lower Santa Cruz river basin will protect Arizona families, farmers, tribal communities, and small business owners from dangerous and costly floors and help Pinal County’s economy continue to grow,” said Sinema.
 
Following Kyrsten’s urging, the Water Resources Development Act directs the Army Corps of Engineers to complete its flood control study and plan for the Lower Santa Cruz river basin in Pinal County. This river basin currently has no flood control system in place, leaving the City of Maricopa, the Gila River Indian Community, and the surrounding farmland at risk of severe flooding. The Army Corps is currently working with stakeholders to finalize a flood control plan, and the Sinema’s provision encourages Army Corps to move expeditiously to finalize its flood control plan.  

Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

“President Biden controls the House, Senate, and White House, and yet spent his speech today blaming anybody but himself for his inflation crisis. His plan is to spend us out of a problem he spent us into. Instead of returning to the best economy we ever had before COVID, President Biden reversed American energy independence, strangled growth with red tape, wasted trillions of dollars we don’t have on stuff we don’t need, paid people to stay home and watch Netflix instead of working, and proposed ‘wealth’ taxes that send a clear message to job creators: Don’t even bother.” – Senator Mike Braun

Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

WASHINGTON — Senator Mike Braun released the following statement on the leak of what is reportedly a draft opinion from the Supreme Court.

“The latest attack on the independence of the Supreme Court by the Democrat Party and the corporate media is shameful. However, if the leaked opinion is accurate then today is a landmark day for the sanctity of human life in our country. I am 100% Pro-Life and pray it is true that the Supreme Court will follow through and save countless lives.” – Senator Mike Braun

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Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mike Braun, John Thune, Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy and Roger Marshall introduced the Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act, legislation that would end President Biden’s untargeted, budget-busting suspension of repayments on qualifying federal student loans, following 24 months of non-payment and six executive actions extending the payment pause. The bill would still allow the president to temporarily suspend repayment for low- and middle-income borrowers in future national emergencies and would prohibit the president from cancelling outstanding federal student loan obligations due to a national emergency.

“The majority of Americans do not have college degrees,” said Braun. “Why should they be forced to pick up the tab for college degrees in the name of pandemic relief? This transfer of wealth is not a move to ‘advance equity,’ but rather a taxpayer handout to appease far-left activists.”

“As Americans continue to return to the workforce more than two years since the pandemic began, it is time for borrowers to resume repayment of student debt obligations,” said Thune. “Taxpayers and working families should not be responsible for continuing to bear the costs associated with this suspension of repayment. This common-sense legislation would protect taxpayers and prevent President Biden from suspending federal student loan repayments in perpetuity. Any future suspension of federal student loan repayments should be left to Congress, not the Biden administration.”

“The Biden Administration continues to call for a return to normalcy from the pandemic, while simultaneously extending emergency relief programs like the student loan repayment freeze,” said Burr. “They can’t have it both ways. Resuming student loan repayments is long overdue, especially in today’s strong job market. That’s why I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this important bill, which will end the repayment moratorium that has exacerbated the existing moral hazard against borrowers and cost taxpayers an estimated $5 billion per month.”

“If the administration wants to follow the science regarding COVID, we must also follow the facts,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Unemployment is not at pandemic levels and a student loan repayment pause benefits those who are high income and able to pay their bills. The administration is spending without congressional approval. That should be considered unconstitutional.”

“Early in the pandemic when millions were out of work it was understandable to provide temporary relief for borrowers,” said Marshall. “Two years removed, this White House and Democrats in Congress continue to pursue the fiscally unsustainable policy of suspending payment, and ultimately canceling, student loan debt, nearly two trillion dollars owed to the federal government. Following the costly response to the pandemic, we must focus on implementing a fiscal strategy that will address the unsustainable path we’re on, not compound it.”

“The moratorium on federal student loan repayments has cost American taxpayers over $100 billion and will cost $5 billion every month it remains in place,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. “Continuing this reckless policy will make surging inflation worse, at a time that we have seen it hit a 40-year high. Less than 17 percent of U.S. adults have federal student loans, and that group is disproportionately wealthy, white, and highly educated. It is unsustainable and unfair for working families to fund this indefinite giveaway to progressive elites. Senators Thune, Burr, Braun, Cassidy, and Marshall should be commended for introducing legislation to end this moratorium and protect taxpayers in the future by narrowing the president’s authority to defer loan repayments.”

“The student debt repayment pause will add $120 billion to the deficit through August, offer a massive handout to doctors and lawyers, and feed more inflation. It’s time to end ongoing COVID relief, or at least fully offset any further extensions,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. “We applaud Senators Thune, Burr, Braun, Cassidy, and Marshall for introducing the Stop Reckless Student Loan Actions Act, which would put an end to the pause and limit a president’s ability to unilaterally cancel student debt.”

Background:

• The current suspension of federal student loan repayments disproportionally benefits higher-earning borrowers and has cost American taxpayers billions of dollars.
• For example, medical doctors with student debt, on average, have received the equivalent of approximately $50,000 in forgiveness as of May 1, 2022, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
• According to the Federal Reserve, the net worth of households led by college graduates soared during the pandemic by $23.4 trillion. Meanwhile, the approximate two-thirds of households that are not led by a college degree holder only saw a net worth increase of $3.5 trillion.
• Each repayment extension has cost taxpayers $5 billion per month, which is in addition to the more than $100 billion Americans have already spent on this repayment moratorium, according to the Department of Education.
• Prior to the pandemic suspension, upper-income borrowers made three-quarters of the student loan payments, according to the Brookings Institution.
• According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, individuals who are bachelor’s degree holders or higher hold 70 percent of education debt – a population with an unemployment rate of only 2.2 percent.

On April 6, 2022, President Biden announced his fourth extension of the suspension of qualifying federal student loan repayments through August 31, 2022. He also announced that when repayments do resume, all borrowers whose federal student loans are delinquent or in default would be made current. Prior to this extension, the repayment of these federal student loans was scheduled to resume in May 2022. Notably, nothing in this bill would prohibit the U.S. Department of Education from continuing to work with individuals who may be struggling to make timely payments, like helping struggling borrowers enter into income-driven repayment plans.

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Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

WASHINGTON — Today, Senator Mike Braun asked Attorney General Merrick Garland if a special counsel is needed in the Hunter Biden investigation in a hearing of the Appropriations Committee.

Federal law instructs that a special counsel is warranted when there’s “conflict of interest for the Department,” or when doing so would support public confidence in the investigation. Senator Braun also asked AG Garland if he believed the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into the Trump campaign was warranted.

Senator Braun also questioned the Attorney General on the escalating crisis at the southern border.

WATCH FULL CLIP | SHORT CLIP with CAPTIONS

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Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

DELPHI, Ind. – Today, Senator Mike Braun addressed the Economic Development Corporation Lunch in Carroll County Indiana as part of his 92 County Tour. Senator Braun’s remarks to the assembled local business leaders and state and regional officials focused on his past as a business owner and his work in the U.S. Senate to promote small businesses.

Every year, Senator Braun visits all 92 counties in Indiana. This week, he is visiting several counties in north-central Indiana and north-east Indiana.

“Today on my 92 County Tour I addressed the Carroll County Economic Development Corporation. Small business is the backbone of every Hoosier community’s economy, and these Main Street entrepreneurs should be celebrated and supported. I was glad to be able to speak with many local leaders during my visit and learn more about Carroll County, how businesses are being hurt by President Biden’s inflation crisis, and what challenges they are facing.” – Senator Mike Braun

Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) joined Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and other Senate Republicans in urging Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Martha Williams not to cave to activists’ calls to restrict the use of lead ammunition and tackle on public lands.

“Policies or actions that reduce or limit sportsmen activities necessarily implicate wildlife conservation programs by affecting state agencies’ revenue. Such policies or actions also handcuff wildlife managers by removing a critical conservation tool while needlessly alienating one of our original conservationists, sportsmen,” the senators wrote.

“Phasing-out lead ammo and tackle on wildlife refuges would disproportionately affect lower-income households and those that depend on hunting and fishing for their subsistence as lead alternatives are often more expensive. The impact of such a policy would be devastating to the sportsmen heritage in our states,” they concluded.

Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W. Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) also signed the letter.

The letter is available here.