DOJ oversight, judicial threats, and trade dominate a quiet Friday

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Courts Subcommittee, wrote Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche this week demanding an explanation of steps DOJ has taken against what Whitehouse characterized as an orchestrated threat campaign targeting federal judges and their families.

"For the past year, judges appointed by presidents of both parties have been subjected to a deluge of threats. These threats have included threats of violence, swatting judges' homes, and unsolicited pizza box deliveries in the name of one judge's murdered son. These campaigns follow a clear pattern. First, a judge rules against this administration. Second, allies of the administration like Laura Loomer or Elon Musk attack that judge on social media, sometimes posting information about the judge or the judge's family. These posts then provoke what I believe is a curated collection of online 'flying monkeys' – individuals who react to these signals about who to intimidate, harass, and threaten," Whitehouse wrote.

Whitehouse has raised the issue repeatedly with DOJ leadership dating to an April 2025 letter signed by all Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats. Former AG Bondi promised a follow-up meeting that never occurred. "I have repeatedly asked DOJ officials, including Attorney General Bondi, to confirm they will look behind the utterer of a threat whenever there is evidence of orchestration, coordination, or conspiracy. DOJ has repeatedly failed to answer 'yes' to that simple question," Whitehouse wrote.

"The responsibility for investigating and prosecuting the people who orchestrate the threats against these judges lies with the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, and Department of Justice. It should be easy for officials at all three agencies to show to me that they are taking all reasonable steps to carry out the full scope of those investigations. I am still waiting for an answer," he concluded.

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., introduced three bills Friday targeting what his office described as weakened vetting, reduced training, and absent accountability within the Trump Justice Department.

"Within federal law enforcement, strong hiring standards, proper oversight, and real accountability are vital – and can save lives," Luján said. "The American people deserve officers who are thoroughly trained, carefully vetted, and held to the highest standards of conduct. Under President Trump's DOJ, those standards are being undermined. That is why I am introducing this legislative package to restore accountability and strengthen oversight, across federal law enforcement."

The FBI Hiring Review Act would require DOJ to audit personnel files for all FBI employees hired since July 4, 2025 — the date the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill was signed — and certify that new hires were checked against state-level misconduct files. The Federal Prosecutorial Accountability Act would mandate a one-year suspension for any DOJ attorney receiving a Rule 11 sanction from a court. The Victims of Immigration Conduct Enforcement (VOICE) Act would amend the Federal Tort Claims Act to create a cause of action against federal law enforcement officers who violate constitutional rights during immigration enforcement, with a minimum of $2 million in punitive damages paid from the employing agency's funds.

A large bipartisan coalition led by Sen. Steve Daines, R-S.D., and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. — and joined by Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., among dozens of others — wrote U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer urging active engagement with farmers and ranchers during the upcoming USMCA six-year joint review.

"Since its adoption, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) has generated numerous benefits for the U.S. food and agriculture sector. We recognize the value of the Agreement's the six-year joint review process to ensure proper oversight, implementation, and enforcement, and we urge you to work closely with Congress and producers to ensure that this process strengthens the Agreement and reinforces certainty for U.S. agriculture," the senators wrote.

The letter cited total U.S. agricultural exports of $176 billion in 2024, noting that Canada and Mexico represent the largest or second-largest export markets for many states. "American family farmers and ranchers depend on the certainty afforded by a stable Agreement," the coalition wrote, adding: "We look forward to working with you to ensure that the joint review process reinforces, rather than undermines, the stability and opportunity that USMCA delivers to America's farmers, ranchers, and rural communities."

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., ranking member of the Commerce Committee, joined colleagues Friday in reintroducing the Consumer Protection Remedies Act of 2026, which would restore the FTC's Section 13(b) authority to return money to consumers harmed by illegal scams and unfair practices — authority the Supreme Court curtailed in April 2021.

"One of the FTC's primary responsibilities is protecting consumers from predatory scams and fraud," Luján said. "As scams and fraud evolve and continue to rip off Americans, it is vital that Congress restore the FTC's authority to return money to victims of unfair and deceptive practices. I won't stand by as New Mexicans get ripped off."

The bill follows a Wednesday Commerce Committee hearing at which the Trump-appointed FTC chair faced questions from Democrats. Cantwell said at that hearing: "While scams have grown exponentially over the last five years, the FTC has been operating without its so called 13(b) authority to get money back for defrauded consumers. Between 2016 and 2020 the FTC returned more than $11 billion to consumers when it had this authority, but since the Supreme Court struck that down, they've returned just $2 billion to consumers." Consumers reported $15.9 billion lost to fraud in 2025, up from $5.8 billion in 2021.

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, held a roundtable Friday in Medina with local business leaders to discuss workforce development and the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which he said delivers tax relief ranging from no-tax-on-tips provisions to a permanent 20% deduction for small businesses.

"Supporting Ohio's small businesses and strengthening our workforce remains one of my top priorities as Ohio's voice in Washington. The Working Families Tax Cuts Act delivers real relief — from small business tax deductions to Workforce Pell Grants that expand access to skills training and good-paying jobs," Husted said. He also discussed the Upward Mobility Act, which he described as legislation designed to eliminate the benefits cliff — the point at which a modest income increase causes a sharp reduction in federal assistance — and provide "Americans a pathway out of poverty and into the middle class."

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., introduced bipartisan legislation Friday to reauthorize the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, a U.S. Postal Service semipostal stamp that has raised nearly $98 million for NIH and Defense Department breast cancer research programs since 1998.

"The Breast Cancer Research Stamp has generated nearly $100 million in funds to support lifesaving advancements in breast cancer detection and treatment," Rosen said. "Reauthorizing the stamp is an important step in continuing the fight against breast cancer and the pursuit of a cure. I'll continue working across party lines to fight against this terrible disease."

The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and is endorsed by 36 organizations including Susan G. Komen, the NAACP, and the American College of Surgeons.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., announced Friday that the U.S. Forest Service will issue $4,501,785 in Secure Rural Schools payments to Nevada, distributed across 14 counties.

"All Nevada families deserve safe, secure roads and high-quality education for their children," Cortez Masto said. "This critical funding will help our rural counties, from Humbolt to Nye, thrive. I'll continue to fight for the resources that our communities need, no matter their size."

The Secure Rural Schools program, established in 2000, compensates counties where high percentages of U.S. Forest Service land limit local tax revenue. Cortez Masto's office noted she authored bipartisan legislation last year reauthorizing the program through Fiscal Year 2026, which was signed into law.

Signals

• volumeToday's release count of 12 ran 57.7% below the Friday average of 28.4 — the sharpest Friday volume dip in the current tracking window.
• coordinatedThe USMCA agriculture letter drew signatures from more than 30 senators across both parties in a single coordinated rollout, making it the day's largest multi-senator action by volume.
• silent breaksSen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., has issued no releases in the entire tracking window (999 days flagged), an anomaly that stands apart from all other silent members.
• recessNo recess is in effect; the next scheduled break — the early May state work period — is 17 days out, with no floor votes on today's calendar.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK—
• Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY46d
• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC30d
• Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI24d