WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and all ten of his Democratic colleagues on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs sent a letter to Chairman Tim Scott calling on him to delay the nomination hearing of President Trump’s Fed Nominee, Kevin Warsh, until all pretextual investigations against current Federal Reserve Board members are closed. In addition to Sen. Warner, signers of the letter to Scott include Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Wanock (D-GA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD). 

“The (Warsh) nomination comes after months of repeated efforts by President Trump and his Administration to influence the Fed by intimidation, including by opening criminal investigations into Fed Governor Lisa Cook and Fed Chair Jerome Powell. These ongoing efforts by the President to control the Fed - which must be able to exercise independent judgment - undermine public confidence in any nomination for chair at this time,” wrote the Banking Committee Democrats.

The Banking Committee Democrats continued, “We demand that you delay any nomination proceedings for Mr. Warsh until after the pretextual criminal investigations involving Chair Powell and Governor Cook have been closed.”

The senators wrote, “The Administration’s apparent effort to seize control of the Fed through criminal prosecutions is dangerous and unprecedented. It would be absurd on its face to allow President Trump to handpick the next Chair of the Federal Reserve as his Department of Justice actively pursues criminal investigations of not one, but two sitting members of the Federal Reserve Board. This Committee should not participate in this farcical effort that threatens to undermine our democracy and confidence in our financial markets.”

Read the full letter here. 

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner joined 11 of his Senate colleagues in urging the Trump Administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) against implementing a rule that would severely weaken longstanding civil service protections for federal probationary employees.

In their letter submitted for OPM’s official comment period on its proposed rule regarding probationary and trial period appeals, the Senators expressed concern that the rule would shift the adjudication of termination appeals from the independent Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to an internal OPM process overseen by a political appointee – a clear conflict of interest in which OPM could both decide which employees are fired and play referee in disputes over those firings. Further, they noted that eroding already limited protections for probationary employees and inviting political interference in workforce matters will harm the recruitment and retention of top talent in the federal civil service. The Senators stressed that these proposed changes are especially dangerous given the Administration’s recent abuses of probationary employees, including mass firings conducted last year that were deemed illegal by a federal court – and they urged OPM to reject the rule and work with Congress to protect a merit-based, nonpartisan federal workforce.

Joining Sen. Warner on this letter are Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Andy Kim, (D-NJ), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).

“We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Proposed Rule – Streamlining Probationary and Trial Period Appeals,” the senators began. “Probationary employees, mostly in the competitive service, long had narrow, but critical, appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). These protections covering discrimination based on partisan political reasons or marital status, and terminations based on conditions arising prior to federal employment were already limited in scope and difficult to prove. However, the proposed rule would harm probationary employees by replacing an independent MSPB review with an internal OPM process overseen by a political appointee, eliminating judicial review, eroding civil service protections and merit system principles, and impacting the recruiting of top talent for the federal workforce.”

“Congress intentionally sought to prevent precisely the outcome where the agency that sets personnel policy also adjudicates claims that those policies are being applied incorrectly or unlawfully. This proposed rule runs directly contrary to that framework, effectively recreating parts of a discredited system that Congress intentionally abandoned,” they continued. “Under this proposed rule, OPM could direct agencies to make probationary terminations and then adjudicate those same actions, eliminating any meaningful independence.”

“As members of Congress, we have seen the critical services that the nonpartisan, highly skilled federal workforce provides to the American public. We must ensure that the civil service is insulated from political retaliation and has a right to due process all while hiring and retaining top talent. This rule is antithetical to those aims. We urge OPM to reject this proposed rule and work with Congress to effectively manage workforce operations,” the senators concluded.

Text of the letter can be viewed here and below.

Dear Director Kupor,

We write in strong opposition to the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) Proposed Rule – Streamlining Probationary and Trial Period Appeals [OPM-2025-0013]. The proposed rule seeks to restructure the process by which certain employees who are terminated during their probationary periods appeal these decisions. Probationary employees, mostly in the competitive service, long had narrow, but critical, appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). These protections covering discrimination based on partisan political reasons or marital status, and terminations based on conditions arising prior to federal employment were already limited in scope and difficult to prove. However, the proposed rule would harm probationary employees by replacing an independent MSPB review with an internal OPM process overseen by a political appointee, eliminating judicial review, eroding civil service protections and merit system principles, and impacting the recruiting of top talent for the federal workforce.

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 split the former Civil Service Commission into distinct agencies with distinct missions. Relevant here, it assigned personnel policy making to OPM and adjudication of workforce appeals to the MSPB. Congress intentionally sought to prevent precisely the outcome where the agency that sets personnel policy also adjudicates claims that those policies are being applied incorrectly or unlawfully. This proposed rule runs directly contrary to that framework, effectively recreating parts of a discredited system that Congress intentionally abandoned.

The rule seeks to move the appeals adjudication to OPM’s Merit System Accountability and Compliance (MSAC). However, the MSPB has the experience, precedents, and procedures to review these probationary employee appeals that MSAC does not have. MSAC lacks the balanced governing board of the MSPB, reports directly to the OPM Director, and has no demonstrated capacity to handle a surge in these types of appeals. Through MSPB review, there is a prudent separation between the agency setting personnel policy and the agency deciding if these policies are being applied lawfully. Under this proposed rule, OPM could direct agencies to make probationary terminations and then adjudicate those same actions, eliminating any meaningful independence.

This conflict of interest is not hypothetical. While federal civil servants across the country give their talent, expertise, and dedication to serve the American public by providing critical services, the Trump administration has already demonstrated its desire to politicize the federal workforce, even taking illegal actions against probationary employees. As part of their dismantling of the federal workforce, the administration sent letters to probationary employees that cruelly and wrongly claimed they were fired for subpar performance at the direction of OPM. Recognizing the unlawfulness of these actions, a federal court ruled that the Trump administration illegally fired roughly 25,000 federal probationary employees. These actions underscore how probationary status has been abused in practice by an administration willing to weaponize personnel processes for political ends.

In light of this demonstrated pattern of unjust and illegal treatment of probationary employees, this proposed rule is especially dangerous to civil service protections, as it eliminates requirements for hearings and discovery during the appeals process that would be typical at the MSPB. Partisan political discrimination cases frequently rely on nuanced motive, credibility, and informal communications. This evidence cannot be meaningfully assessed without discovery or witness testimony. Without access to evidence or a neutral factfinder, the burden placed on employees becomes effectively insurmountable. Under this proposal, appeals would be limited to a paper-only, agency-controlled record, with hearings provided only if OPM deems them “necessary.” As a result, this structure makes such claims nearly impossible to prove and, in practice, could amount to a sham review process. In a worst-case scenario, an administration could rely on external indicators—such as voter registration data or political activity—to justify removals, while denying employees any meaningful opportunity to challenge those decisions so long as discriminatory motives or reasons for termination were not explicit.

Additionally, the American public deserves a merit-based, nonpartisan civil service that recruits and retains the best talent across the nation. The administration has called for the recruitment of top scientific and technical expertise in the federal government. However, talented prospective employees become less likely to join a workforce where political influence and diminished due process create instability and risk. Recent mass firings including highly skilled employees in AI and technical fields with strong performance records have already caused significant reputational harm to the federal government’s brand as an employer, signaling to prospective recruits that even excellent performance offers no protection. The proposed rule and the administration’s attack on the civil service undermines its ability to keep and hire top talent by building uncertainty for new employees and creating less flexibility for managers.

As members of Congress, we have seen the critical services that the nonpartisan, highly skilled federal workforce provides to the American public. We must ensure that the civil service is insulated from political retaliation and has a right to due process all while hiring and retaining top talent. This rule is antithetical to those aims. We urge OPM to reject this proposed rule and work with Congress to effectively manage workforce operations.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Inspector General Joseph Cuffari urging him to investigate current and future DHS procurements that enable the collection, retention, and analysis of sensitive personal data. As DHS continues a mass deportation campaign across the country, Warner and Kaine raised serious concerns that DHS is collecting and utilizing sensitive data about U.S. citizens and non-citizens in ways that may circumvent Fourth Amendment protections and other constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties, while operating with insufficient oversight and accountability.

“We write to you to express our concern that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is collecting sensitive personal data that can be used to circumvent civil liberty protections, including those guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment. This matter deserves your office’s immediate attention, and we request that your office audit DHS’ immigration procurement activities to determine whether they have led to violations of federal law and other regulations that maintain privacy and defend against unlawful searches,” the senators wrote.

“Numerous media reports and videos show DHS immigration enforcement operations in cities and towns across the country, including allegations of violations of individuals’ civil rights,” the senators continued. “On at least two separate occasions DHS law enforcement personnel – one working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the other for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – have shot and killed American citizens. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot 3 times in Minneapolis by an ICE agent. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who worked at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, was also shot in Minneapolis during an encounter with CBP. Additionally, ICE agents have shot and wounded another person and deployed flash bangs and teargas on a family, resulting in the hospitalization of small children, including a 6-month-old baby.”

Warner and Kaine noted that alongside these recent, documented instances of excessive and deadly use of force by DHS immigration enforcement is an unprecedented allocation of funds that may be supporting the inappropriate and unsupervised use of surveillance technology.  

“In addition to egregious practices we have seen in public reporting, it’s important that your office shine light on activities that undergird ICE’s enforcement actions including a muddled patchwork of technology procurements that have significantly expanded DHS’ ability to collect, retain, and analyze information about Americans,” added the senators. “Together, ICE’s new information collection tools potentially enable DHS to circumvent the constitutional protections provided by the Fourth Amendment - protections guaranteed to all Americans and all persons within our borders.”

“DHS law enforcement agencies have moved to amass potentially sensitive personal data with the unprecedented $165 billion DHS was allocated during last year’s partisan reconciliation process. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alone received $75 billion, more funding than that allocated to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an agency responsible for investigating violations of a significantly greater number of laws,” the senators continued.

Warner and Kaine provided a detailed list of questions to Inspector General Cuffari intended to uncover the manner and methods by which DHS collects, stores, uses, and shares data that contains personally identifying information and requested that DHS provide a briefing on their investigation and findings to them.

The senators wrote, “DHS’ reported disregard for adhering to the law and its proven ambivalence toward observing and upholding constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms of Americans and noncitizens, including freedom of speech and equal protection under the law, leaves us with little confidence that these new and powerful tools are being used responsibly. Coupled with DHS’ propensity to detain people regardless of their circumstances, it is reasonable question whether DHS can be trusted with powerful surveillance tools and if in doing so, DHS is subjecting Americans to surveillance under the pretext of immigration enforcement.”

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

The Honorable Joseph V. Cuffari

Inspector General

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

245 Murray Lane SW

Washington, D.C. 20528

Dear Inspector General Cuffari:

We write to you to express our concern that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is collecting sensitive personal data that can be used to circumvent civil liberty protections, including those guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment. This matter deserves your office’s immediate attention, and we request that your office audit DHS’ immigration procurement activities to determine whether they have led to violations of federal law and other regulations that maintain privacy and defend against unlawful searches.

Numerous media reports and videos show DHS immigration enforcement operations in cities and towns across the country, including allegations of violations of individuals’ civil rights. On at least two separate occasions DHS law enforcement personnel – one working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the other for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – have shot and killed American citizens. Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot 3 times in Minneapolis by an ICE agent.^[1] Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who worked at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital, was also shot in Minneapolis during an encounter with CBP.^[2] Additionally, ICE agents have shot and wounded another person^[3] and deployed flash bangs and teargas on a family, resulting in the hospitalization of small children, including a 6-month-old baby.^[4]

Recently, your office announced new projects to determine whether ICE adequately investigates allegations of excessive force, appropriately hires and trains its workforce, and whether it adheres to detention standards. We strongly support these oversight efforts and will be closely monitoring your investigations for their independence, accuracy, and recommendations.

In addition to egregious practices we have seen in public reporting, it is important that your office shine light on activities that undergird ICE’s enforcement actions including a muddled patchwork of technology procurements that have significantly expanded DHS’ ability to collect, retain, and analyze information about Americans. Together, ICE’s new information collection tools potentially enable DHS to circumvent the constitutional protections provided by the Fourth Amendment - protections guaranteed to all Americans and all persons within our borders.

DHS law enforcement agencies have moved to amass potentially sensitive personal data with the unprecedented $165 billion DHS was allocated during last year’s partisan reconciliation process. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) alone received $75 billion, more funding than that allocated to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), an agency responsible for investigating violations of a significantly greater number of laws.

To date, DHS has:

1. Issued a Request for Information (RFI) to Big Data and Ad Tech providers to support ICE’s investigation activities;^[5]
2. Published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Collection and Use of Biometrics by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, that would expand the types and amount of biometric data the agency can – including allowing collection of biometric data from children under 14;^[6]
3. Issued a RFI to hire 30 social media surveillance contractors to collect information from social media and commercial databases and build profiles on individuals for the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division;^[7]
4. Issued a Notice of Intent for licenses from Bi2 Technologies - used for scanning individuals’ irises;^[8]
5. Entered a contract with Palantir to upgrade the Investigative Case Management (ICM) system – which has access to information from across the federal government – to include the Immigration Lifecycle Operating System (ImmigrationOS);^[9]
6. Reactivated a contract with Paragon Solutions under the FAR 6.302-1 rule, which is reserved for the most unique services;^[10]
7. Entered into a contract with facial recognition software developer Clearview AI^[11] – about which ICE has received a letter from other Senators;^[12]
8. Entered into a contract with Penlink’s services which monitor social media and track mobile devices;^[13] and
9. Accessed and utilized software that DHS does not have official access to – including Flock License Plate Scanning Software.^[14]

DHS’ reported disregard for adhering to the law ^[15],[16] and its proven ambivalence toward observing and upholding constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms of Americans and noncitizens, including freedom of speech and equal protection under the law,^[17] leaves us with little confidence that these new and powerful tools are being used responsibly. Coupled with DHS’ propensity to detain people regardless of their circumstances,^[18] it is reasonable to question whether DHS can be trusted with powerful surveillance tools and if in doing so, DHS is subjecting Americans to surveillance under the pretext of immigration enforcement.

Immigrants without criminal convictions are now make up the majority of ICE detainees. In September 2025, ICE arrested 59,762 individuals, and nearly 72% of those individuals had no prior criminal conviction.^[19] Since September, reporting indicates that in both Chicago^[20] and Washington D.C.,^[21] immigrants without a prior criminal record have made up 80% of those detained. We are horrified by the videos and reports of masked federal law enforcement officers seizing mothers from their vehicles while dropping their kids off at school, gassing children in their neighborhoods, demanding proof of citizenship based on an individual’s appearance, threatening peaceful protesters, and the broad dragnet operations arresting, injuring, and traumatizing entire communities.

We are deeply concerned that ICE’s surge in brutality against American communities is being facilitated by the inappropriate and unsupervised use of surveillance technology. As such, we formally request an investigation by your office into the methods that DHS uses to collect, retain, analyze, and use data about the communities where it operates in conjunction with the companies mentioned above, and any companies DHS is seeking to conduct business with – for similar purposes – in the future. We ask that the investigation address the following questions and that you provide a briefing to our offices:

1. The manner and methods by which DHS stores and uses data that contains personally identifying information.
1. Whether the manners and methods mentioned above have changed since January 20, 2025. If yes, describe any changes.
2. Is the data that DHS/ICE collects or otherwise obtains from other federal or state government agencies, contractors, foreign governments, or third parties, used to define targets of DHS immigration enforcement activities?
1. If yes, describe the process by which that data is reviewed to ensure its use is consistent with all applicable laws and the Constitution.
3. For data held by DHS that is used for the purpose described in question 2, describe the process under which Federal, state, and local law enforcement or other entities are granted access to the data.
4. Does DHS record incidents when biometric data used by DHS in the field results in a false positive? Provide documentation sufficient to determine the number of times data DHS has collected and aggregated has resulted in false positives when utilized in the field.
1. Provide any legal analysis prepared or relied upon by DHS for incidents where U.S. citizens are detained and biometric data was used in effecting any such detainment.
5. Does DHS currently or formerly maintain information sharing arrangements with social media companies?
1. If yes, provide documentation sufficient to describe the arrangements and circumstances under which social media companies allow DHS access to data held by those companies.
6. How has data sharing between ICE/ERO and other government agencies changed since January 2025? What are the specific thresholds that requests for data must meet before data is shared?
7. Has DHS purchased or otherwise obtained, directly or indirectly, data from data brokers for the purpose of civil immigration enforcement?
8. Does DHS permit individuals to decline or withdraw consent to the collection and use of their biometric or other personally-identifying data?
9. Describe - and provide documentation sufficient to show - the cybersecurity requirements that DHS mandates that private contractors comply with as a condition of participating in DHS immigration enforcement operations.
10. Describe - and provide documentation sufficient to show - any limitations that DHS imposes on private, third-party contractors regarding those parties’ use of the data that they access, generate, or otherwise interact with in the course of performing contracts awarded by DHS or to which DHS is a party.

Sincerely,

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement on the FBI raid in Fulton County, Georgia:

“There are only two explanations for why the Director of National Intelligence would show up at a federal raid tied to Donald Trump’s obsession with losing the 2020 election. Either Director Gabbard believes there was a legitimate foreign intelligence nexus – in which case she is in clear violation of her obligation under the law to keep the intelligence committees ‘fully and currently informed’ of relevant national security concerns – or she is once again demonstrating her utter lack of fitness for the office that she holds by injecting the nonpartisan intelligence community she is supposed to be leading into a domestic political stunt designed to legitimize conspiracy theories that undermine our democracy. Either is a serious breach of trust that further underscores why she is totally unqualified to hold a position that demands sound judgment, apolitical independence, and a singular focus on keeping Americans safe.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the below statement on a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing announcing the agency’s findings from its year-long investigation into the deadly midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that took the lives of 67 people:

“We thank NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, Board Member Inman, the other members of the Board, and the investigators and staff at the National Transportation Safety Board for their thorough and tireless work to uncover the truth about what happened on January 29, 2025. The conclusions announced at today’s hearing are sobering and underscore just how preventable this tragedy was. An overstretched system, overwhelmed air traffic controllers, an overreliance on pilots to maintain separation in one of the most complex airspaces in the country, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s failure to act on safety recommendations all contributed to a disaster that should never have occurred.

“The NTSB’s work will make our airspace safer — but only if Congress and the FAA act on these findings. We remain fully committed to making DCA, every airport in Virginia, and airports across the country as safe as possible. In December, the Senate passed the bipartisan ROTOR Act, which addresses several of the systemic issues implicated in this incident. We call on the House to swiftly pass the ROTOR Act, on the administration to faithfully implement it, and on Congress to continue taking proactive steps to make air travel safer.

“Congress will also soon have the opportunity to dig into the NTSB’s report, as well as two additional reports from the Army, regarding this crash. We will do everything in our power to ensure that these investigations lead to additional, comprehensive steps to enhance safety for the flying public. It is obvious that those steps must include removing slots from DCA. For years, we have warned that continually squeezing more flights into an already constrained airspace and an airport with the busiest runway in America carries serious safety risks. Today’s findings confirm those concerns in the most painful way possible. We owe it to the 67 lives lost, to their families, and to everyone who flies in and out of DCA to learn from this tragedy and to act decisively.”

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WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) released the following statement regarding Attorney General Pam Bondi’s announcement that Lindsey Halligan—whom a federal judge ruled was unlawfully appointed to her position—was leaving the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA):

“Virginia Senators of both parties have always worked closely with presidential Administrations, regardless of party, on Virginia nominations. That fair and deliberate process has always included at least one meeting with the nominees to discuss their qualifications—until now. It has been over 16 weeks since the Trump Administration nominated Lindsey Halligan, but neither she nor the White House ever reached out to meet with us or even introduce herself. It’s clear this Administration never expected her to be confirmed by the Senate given her lack of qualifications to serve as a U.S. Attorney, and instead wanted to end-run around the Senate and the Judiciary Committee.”

On January 21, 2025, the Trump Administration appointed Erik Siebert as the interim U.S. Attorney for the EDVA. In April of 2025, after an extensive interview process that included the input of a bipartisan panel of former Virginia U.S. Attorneys and other well-respected members of the Virginia legal community, Warner and Kaine sent a letter to the White House recommending Siebert for the U.S. Attorney position. In May of 2025, the White House announced that Siebert was formally nominated for the role. Siebert was serving in an interim capacity because he had not yet been confirmed by the U.S. Senate. On May 9, 2025, the District Judges of the Eastern District of Virginia unanimously voted for Seibert to continue as the interim U.S. Attorney. 

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) introduced legislation today to rename a Sterling, Va. post office as the “Firefighter Trevor Brown Post Office Building.” This legislation honors the service of Firefighter Trevor Brown – a husband, father of three, and youth soccer and baseball coach who lost his life in the line of duty on February 16, 2024, while investigating reports of a gas leak that resulted in a catastrophic explosion as firefighters began their investigation.

“Trevor Brown was a heroic firefighter who spent his career running towards danger in an effort to save lives and protect members of his own community. It is an honor to introduce this legislation to rename a Sterling, Va. post office in his honor and in remembrance of his courage, bravery, and service through the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company,” said the senators. 

This bill was also introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) and the Virginia congressional delegation. The United States Postal Service (USPS) facility is located at 46164 Westlake Drive in Sterling, Virginia.

Full text of this legislation is available here.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) applauds the House of Representatives passage of the bipartisan Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, legislation he sponsored to save hard-earned taxpayer money by curbing erroneous payments to individuals who have passed away. The bill unanimously passed the Senate in September 2025 and now moves to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature. 

“As Americans struggle to afford the cost of living, Congress should be doing everything in its power to save taxpayer dollars and protect government resources from fraud and abuse. I’m thrilled to see this legislation pass through the House of Representatives – the last step needed in order to send this to the President’s desk for his signature. I will continue working in a bipartisan manner to improve efficiency and ensure that our government is working for the American people,” said Sen. Warner.

The Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act would permanently amend the Social Security Act to allow the Social Security Administration to share the Death Master File – a record of deceased individuals – with the Treasury Department’s Do Not Pay system. This change would limit the government’s ability to make improper payments to deceased people in the future. This bill would also allow the Treasury’s Do Not Pay working system to compare death information from the Social Security Administration with personal information from other federal entities and to share this information with any paying or administering agency that is authorized to use the Do Not Pay system. 

In addition to Sen. Warner, this bill was led by Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Ashley Moody (R-FL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Joni Ernst (R-IA).

“The fact that the federal government is sending checks to dead people – often to be cashed by fraudsters – makes me want to reach for the barf bucket. That’s why I wrote this bill to permanently stop this outrageous fraud from happening, and I’m thrilled to see Congress officially on board with this commonsense fix,” said Sen. Kennedy.

“This bill will help save millions of taxpayer dollars by ensuring that the Social Security Administration can permanently share important data with the Treasury’s Do Not Pay system, preventing wrongful payments to deceased individuals. I have long supported this legislation because I believe it is a vital step in safeguarding taxpayer dollars and ensuring the integrity of our payment systems,” said Sen. Peters.

“This bipartisan bill fixes our federal government’s payment systems so that millions of taxpayer dollars are saved every year. As Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, I am committed to ensuring that Americans’ hard earned benefits are protected. That’s why I’m supporting this bill to ensure Americans’ personal data and earned benefits from Social Security are protected,” said Sen. Wyden.

“As stewards of our fellow taxpayers, we owe it to them to be sure their hard-earned dollars are well spent and NOT WASTED. Great to see the Ending Improper Payments to Deceased People Act, which permanently codifies coordination between the Department of Treasury and Social Security Administration to eliminate payments to dead people, has now passed both the House and the Senate and is headed to the President’s desk. A step in the right direction for ending waste, fraud and abuse running rampant in Washington,” said Sen. Moody.

“Our government has a responsibility to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars and prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. I am glad that this bipartisan bill to update existing safeguards and better prevent unintentional payments to deceased people has passed the House, and I encourage President Trump to sign it into law immediately,” said Sen. Hassan.

Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) led the companion bill in the House of Representatives.

Full bill text is available here.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement after NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman’s visit to Langley Research Center in Hampton and Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island:

“I am greatly encouraged to see NASA Administrator Isaacman visit Langley Research Center and Wallops Flight Facility. In multiple meetings with then-nominee for NASA Administrator Isaacman, I stressed the importance of NASA Langley and Wallops for both the local communities and U.S. leadership in aerospace research. Any proposed changes to the missions of these facilities must take into account the critical scientific capabilities that our talented workforce in the region provides. As Administrator Isaacman takes on the responsibilities of his new position, I look forward to coordinating with him to ensure no harmful changes are carried out.”

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a senior member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, released the following statement:

“The Fed was designed to operate independently, insulated from political pressure, so that it can make tough decisions based on data and the long-term health of the economy, not the whims of any one president. That independence provides the stability that markets, investors, and everyday Americans rely on. Using the threat of criminal prosecution to pressure the Fed over interest rates is a direct assault on that foundation and puts the economic security of millions of Americans at risk. Uncertainty and instability can ripple through the economy, affecting borrowing costs and making it harder for families to buy a home, run a small business, or afford everyday necessities like food, fuel, and diapers.

“Unfortunately, we have seen this pattern before. Over the past year, the Justice Department has repeatedly targeted the president’s perceived political adversaries, only to have courts and grand juries reject these cases as baseless and politically motivated. We have also seen the president attempt to remove a sitting Federal Reserve Board member, underscoring his willingness to attack the Fed for refusing to fall in line.

“The administration’s latest attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell are just the most recent example of Donald Trump’s chaos-driven approach to the economy – and once again, it’s working Americans who will pay the price. From impulsive trade wars and erratic tariffs to deficit-exploding tax cuts and attacks on Fed independence, President Trump has shown time and again that he’s more interested in political theater than helping the American people. The result is higher costs for families, uncertainty for businesses, and diminished confidence in our economic leadership around the world.” 

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WASHINGTON – Today, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chris Coons (D-DE), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Housing, Banking and Urban Affairs Committee Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations Brian Schatz (D-HI) released the following statement after President Trump’s announcement that he plans for the U.S. to “run” Venezuela:

“We strongly condemn President Trump’s announced plans to occupy Venezuela. We have many urgent needs here at home and President Trump’s statement that “we are not afraid of boots on the ground,” begs for clarity on the risks he plans to take with the lives of American service members.  Having lied to Congress and misled the American people about his goals while spending months preparing to capture Maduro, the administration has to come clean with Congress and our nation about its real plans in Venezuela. The American people deserve answers about what vital interests are at stake and how this advances their security, neither of which this administration has provided.”

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