Iran MOU splits Senate Republicans; Democrats push election-security bill

Five Republican senators weighed in on the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding Thursday, and the statements ranged from cautious optimism to pointed alarm — an unusual display of intraparty divergence on a foreign policy matter.

Chairman Wicker set the critical tone early. "I am concerned that the memorandum of understanding negotiates away the victories of Operation Epic Fury in ways that are completely out of step with the President's goals," he wrote, adding that he opposes "the U.S. lifting any sanctions on Iran, or unfreezing Iranian funds, in exchange for Iran's mere agreement to negotiate for another 60 days."

In a floor statement, Sen. Kennedy framed the same document differently, emphasizing concrete near-term benefits: "The only certainty, the only practical, real consequence of this document is that for 60 days, America has removed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. And for 60 days, Iran has removed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which means ships containing oil and natural gas and fertilizer can go back and forth." He added: "The president is taking a big risk here, and he's been roundly criticized by my Democrat friends, which I don't really get."

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., struck a middle tone, expressing hope while flagging transparency concerns: "I will also be following what economic benefits Iran may be receiving from this deal and in what time frame. Nebraskans deserve to know how this MOU will impact our country." Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., appearing on Fox News, framed the deal through a deterrence lens — "don't trust but verify" — and said she wants to see nuclear terms formally presented to Congress. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., was the most enthusiastic, citing a conversation with Vice President Vance and claiming "we're already moving 4 million barrels of oil a day through that Strait."

On the Democratic side, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., connected the MOU directly to constituent costs, writing that "New Yorkers are paying the price for President Trump's reckless war with Iran every time they fill up their car with gas" and urging the Treasury to raise the federal standard mileage rate.

Eight Democratic senators introduced the Protect Our Polls Act Thursday, legislation that would close what sponsors call a loophole in existing federal law by requiring a Joint Resolution of congressional approval before the president can send troops or armed federal agents to polling locations.

"As a Marine, I took an oath to the Constitution, not a president. As did all troops. Using our servicemembers to intimidate Americans at the polls is disgusting, illegal, and exactly the kind of abuse this bill stops cold," said Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz.

In her own statement, Sen. Slotkin directly named the states she said the president has targeted: "I am glad to be joined by Senators from across the country, especially states like Arizona, Georgia, Minnesota and Wisconsin which, along with Michigan, the president has targeted. All states that may very well decide who controls the House and Senate."

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., framed the bill as a response to a broader pattern: "President Trump has shown time and again he's willing to use and abuse the full force of the federal government to intimidate and harm Americans, punish his enemies, and get his way." The bill requires the president to provide Congress with intelligence, legal justification, and evidence that state or local government cannot handle a threat on its own at least 48 hours before any deployment.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., led two separate bipartisan agriculture bills into introduction Thursday, both targeting the domestic food supply chain.

The American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act — co-sponsored by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va. — would make the USDA Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program permanent and create a new Regional Food Systems Hubs Program. "At a time when farmers and ranchers are facing increased uncertainty, it is more important than ever to bolster support for local and regional food systems," said Klobuchar. Justice added: "We have to bolster the whole food supply chain to make sure it works for our farmers; if we don't have the middle of the road folks, everyone else falls off the sides."

The same Schiff-Hyde-Smith pairing also introduced the Fresh Produce for Families Act, which would allow states to direct up to 20 percent of Emergency Food Assistance Program dollars toward fresh produce. "It just makes sense to allow food banks to have more access to fruits and vegetables grown within their borders," Hyde-Smith said.

Two artificial intelligence bills moved on opposite sides of the aisle Thursday, underscoring how AI policy has emerged as a cross-cutting Senate preoccupation.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced the American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, which would impose a one-time 50 percent tax on the stock of the largest AI companies, depositing shares into a publicly managed fund estimated at $7 trillion. "Left unchecked, Artificial Intelligence and robotics threatens the jobs, privacy rights and mental health of every man, woman and child in America," Sanders said. "The American people must have the ability to slow it down and make sure that AI benefits humanity, not just the richest people on the planet."

Separately, the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the NO FAKES Act, legislation targeting unauthorized AI-generated replicas of individuals' voices and likenesses. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., an original cosponsor, praised the markup: "No one should have their voice, image, or likeness stolen and used in a fake video or AI-generated deepfake without their consent. With artificial intelligence advancing at a rapid pace, it is becoming harder for people to know what is real and what is not."

Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., joined seven Democratic colleagues Thursday in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, urging reversal of a Merit Systems Protection Board ruling that immigration judges can be fired at will under Article II.

"Article II does not permit the President to override Congress's constitutional power to pass laws governing the federal civil service. Upholding the final administrative decision would fundamentally alter the balance of power between the Executive and Legislative branches. Millions of federal workers would become removable at will — the civil service merit system would functionally cease to exist," the senators wrote in the brief filed in Jackler and Jaroch v. Department of Justice.

The Senate unanimously passed the Stop Secret Spending Act, legislation authored by Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., requiring public disclosure of Other Transaction Agreements — spending arrangements that have been excluded from the USAspending.gov database. The Pentagon alone has awarded $25.5 billion in OTAs over the past two years, with another $44 billion committed.

"You can't cut waste you can't see," said Lankford. Ernst added: "Bureaucrats have been playing hide and seek with tax dollars for far too long. It's time to end the games and stop the secret spending." Peters called it "commonsense legislation" to "cut down on waste, fraud, and abuse."

Sen. Schiff led Senate Democrats Thursday in demanding answers about $22.77 million in federal contracts awarded to Event Strategies, Inc. — the firm that organized the January 6, 2021 rally — since January 2025. The letter, also signed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., was addressed to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

"Through this concerning pattern of behavior, the Trump Administration continues to send Americans a clear message: it is willing to reward loyalty with political and economic favoritism at taxpayers' expense," the senators wrote. The letter specifically flags contracts awarded through the U.S. Navy and for events associated with the country's 250th anniversary celebrations, including coordination with Freedom 250, which senators previously flagged as an opaque private entity soliciting large donations tied to White House access.

Two bipartisan infrastructure bills emerged Thursday targeting wildfire resilience and electric grid reliability.

Sens. John Curtis, R-Utah, and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., introduced the FIRE SMART Act, which would expand EPA Drinking Water State Revolving Fund eligibility to cover water infrastructure projects in rural, high-wildfire-risk communities with fewer than 50,000 residents. "As wildfires continue to threaten Utah and the West, rural communities need access to the tools and infrastructure necessary to protect lives and property," Curtis said. Padilla added: "Too many rural communities still lack the water infrastructure needed to effectively respond when disaster strikes."

Seps. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Padilla also reintroduced the POWER ON Act to reauthorize the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program at the Department of Energy. "Texas is no stranger to extreme weather events, and it's imperative that we have the infrastructure capable of withstanding the gamut of everything from freezing cold temperatures to sweltering heat waves, flooding, and devastating wildfires," Cornyn said.

In an op-ed published in National Review and flagged in a press release, Sen. Kennedy drew attention to what he described as explosive Medicaid fraud at autism-related care facilities. He cited Minnesota as an example: "Medicaid spending on autism-related behavioral therapies increased from $670,000 to $342.8 million between 2019 and 2024 — a 50,988 percent increase."

Kennedy credited provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill and actions by Vice President Vance, CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, and Justice Department prosecutors for beginning to address the problem. "When some third-rate fraudster or private equity firm chooses to bilk Medicaid for their own gain, it not only harms the children in need, but it also destroys taxpayers' confidence that their money is going to worthwhile causes," he wrote.

The National Science Foundation agreed Thursday to pause its planned dismantling of the Ocean Observatories Initiative sensor network, following Senate passage of a bipartisan bill by Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

"I teamed up with Senator Murkowski to lead an 'SOS' call — Save Ocean Sensors — and the Senate unanimously approved our bipartisan bill to defend the vital Ocean Observatories Initiative," Merkley said. Murkowski called it "a massive win for coastal communities and fishermen around the country" and added: "Today we saw the federal process at work — with Congress advocating and the Executive taking decisive action."

Three separate releases Thursday touched on the country's approaching 250th anniversary, reflecting the semiquincentennial's growing footprint in Senate communications.

Sen. Curtis announced a 250-mile walk across Utah starting next week, ending in Provo on the Fourth of July: "These values matter now more than ever, and it is our sacred obligation not just to speak of them, but to live them." Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., re-passed the Declaration of Independence on the Senate floor, saying: "Let this generation take its place in the long line of patriots who understood that freedom is inherited only when it is fought for."

Separately, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, led a bipartisan group — including Merkley — in demanding the Trump administration halt plans for a "Triumphal Arch" at Memorial Circle, arguing construction would violate federal law without congressional authorization. "The National Park Service is assessing the effects of an undertaking that Congress has never authorized and that two federal statutes squarely prohibit," the lawmakers wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Signals

• volumeThursday's release count of 46 ran 48 percent below the Thursday baseline of 88.6, the lowest relative volume in the current tracking window — likely a pre-recess compression effect with 11 days until the Independence Day state work period.
• coordinatedFive Republican senators — Wicker, Kennedy, Britt, Ricketts, and Marshall — each issued Iran MOU statements within a roughly 12-hour window, though the statements ranged from supportive to sharply critical, suggesting coordinated timing without coordinated message.
• coordinatedEight Democratic senators issued releases on the Protect Our Polls Act within two hours of each other, with Slotkin and Gallego filing separate releases on identical legislation — a textbook coordinated rollout.
• coordinatedThe Schiff-Hyde-Smith pairing produced three separate releases today — food supply chain, fresh produce for food banks, and California invasive pest funding — making Schiff the highest-volume senator of the day at four total releases.
• voteThe Senate Commerce Committee held a markup of the Protect College Sports Act Thursday; Sen. Moreno issued a statement signaling his support after previously flagging concerns.
• silent breaksSen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has been silent for 45 days but appeared as a co-sponsor on the bipartisan Kyle Busch memorial resolution that passed the Senate Thursday — his first traceable Senate floor activity in that window.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK—
• Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI38d
• Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY15d