NDAA blocked, WRDA advances, Golden Dome draws fire in packed Senate day

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., released a statement Wednesday morning laying out what he said Democrats objected to — and what they prevented from reaching debate. "The NDAA would have included another 86 amendments, split evenly between Republicans and Democrats. These amendments included bipartisan packages on crime and drugs, bipartisan provisions to ensure America stays ahead of China on chips and artificial intelligence, and bipartisan oversight measures for the State Department and intelligence community," Wicker said.

Wicker argued the objections were misallocated. "It is difficult to understand this action given that the objections to beginning debate on the bill center on what is not in the bill. We have voted dozens of times on military action in Iran, both on the Senate floor and in our committee," he said. "I hope Senator Schumer will reconsider and allow the NDAA to come to the floor so that we can debate these topics and advance legislation containing over 1,100 individual ideas from every senator in this chamber."

In a floor statement, Sen. Barrasso catalogued the specific provisions he said Democrats rejected. "They voted against higher pay for our troops. They voted against better healthcare for our service members and their families. Democrats voted against better housing for our troops. Democrats voted against stronger deterrence. Democrats voted against a more lethal military. Democrats voted against a larger, stronger Navy. Democrats even voted against a modern nuclear deterrent," Barrasso said.

Barrasso also accused Democrats of reversing earlier committee votes. "Many of them voted for the bill in the Committee to send it to the Floor, then it gets to the Floor, and what happens? All of them voted to block it from even beginning the debate. Apparently, Democrats were for it before they were against it," he said.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee unanimously advanced the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 Wednesday, drawing statements from members across the political spectrum. The bipartisan vote stood in sharp contrast to the floor fight over the NDAA happening simultaneously.

Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Ranking Member of the EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, voted yes and highlighted Maryland-specific provisions. "Every family, every business, every school, and every community depends on safe, abundant, reliable water — and on the partnerships that cross municipal lines and unite rural and urban communities to manage flood risk and harness the economic opportunities afforded to us by our waterways," Alsobrooks said. The bill includes measures affecting the Potomac River Basin water supply, Assateague Island shoreline restoration, Chesapeake Bay oyster recovery, and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., cited provisions specific to his state. "This legislation includes my efforts to address ice jams along the Missouri River. It also includes provisions to improve government efficiency and expedite a permit to construct the Perkins County Canal. Efficient, predictable regulatory frameworks drive down costs," Ricketts said.

Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., supported the bill while flagging a gap. "While I support this legislation wholeheartedly, I think there is an area where it falls short, and that is meeting our country's growing affordability crisis. Americans are seeing higher costs everywhere, from the gas pump to housing, and they shouldn't have to choose between their groceries and utility bills," she said, pointing to a water affordability program she and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., are developing modeled on the LIHEAP program. Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, secured committee approval for drought-related water projects for Utah communities, noting from the dais: "Utah is in a record drought. Everywhere I go, it's 'water, water, water, water.' And I think in many cases, as [there are] many pressing problems we have as a country and as a state, water still rises to the top."

The Senate passed the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act without opposition Wednesday, extending funding for senior nutrition, transportation, caregiver support, and elder abuse prevention programs through fiscal year 2030. The OAA had expired during the 118th Congress after last being reauthorized in 2020.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, called it a personal legislative victory. "The OAA has been a lifeline for American seniors since its passage over half a century ago, and I am proud to have successfully led the charge for its reauthorization in the Senate. This lifesaving legislation will help our nation's older adults age with dignity by supporting programs that provide nutrition assistance, meal deliveries, transportation services, caregiver support, long-term care, and more," Gillibrand said. She called on the House to act immediately.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee, joined HELP Chairman Bill Cassidy, R-La., in applauding the vote. "I'm delighted that the Senate unanimously passed legislation last night to expand and improve the Older Americans Act," Sanders said. "It costs less to feed a senior for an entire year through the Older Americans Act than it does for a senior to spend one night in a hospital." Cassidy framed it as a continuity-of-care commitment: "For more than 60 years, the Older Americans Act has connected seniors with services that help them age with dignity. This bipartisan reauthorization ensures that support continues as the nation's aging population grows."

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a Navy combat veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, pressed Acting Pentagon Comptroller Jules W. Hurst III Wednesday on whether the Golden Dome missile defense program can deliver on its promises before Congress commits to what Kelly described as potentially the most expensive defense program in American history.

"Before Congress commits taxpayers to what could become the most expensive defense program in our nation's history, we need some confidence that the system is going to deliver the capability that's being promised. And to me, right now, it's clear that it won't. The most ambitious element of Golden Dome is the space-based interceptor layer, and that is going to face significant technical challenges. The costs, the physics, the likely reliability, in my view, do not support a full-scale space-based intercept architecture. This means that we could spend more than $1 trillion and end up with a system that's not going to work, and it's not going to meaningfully improve our security," Kelly said.

Kelly also pressed an economic argument against the program's architecture. "Do you understand that defeating a system with countermeasures and decoys is cheaper than interceptors? [...] That becomes a math problem, like an economics math problem is that the adversary's ability to defeat the system is less expensive than our cost to build the system," he said. His closing framing was direct: "Missile defense is too important to pursue just based on aspiration alone."

President Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton, appeared before the Senate Intelligence Committee Wednesday, drawing questions from both parties on his subpoenas of New York Times journalists, his refusal to confirm Joe Biden won the 2020 election, and his approach to reforming the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., pressed Clayton on the circumstances of subpoenas served at reporters' homes. "Normally, a subpoena would be issued at their place of business, a corporate office, but again, delivering it to a private home seems quite aggressive," Gillibrand said. She cautioned the nominee directly: "In your role, you are going to have many times when you may be influenced to engage in investigation because the White House is unhappy with a report." Clayton declined to address the specifics of the investigation.

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., took a different approach, pressing Clayton on how his prosecutorial background at the Southern District of New York — where he handled money laundering, drug kingpin cases, international terrorists, and counterespionage — would translate to leading the intelligence community. Clayton described his intended role as serving policymakers, not setting policy. "The intelligence community is about providing information and analysis, not setting policy or making decisions," Clayton said. On ODNI's size, Clayton offered an analogy: "The analogy that is in my mind is a board of directors that oversees a number of subsidiaries. In most cases, that board of directors is fairly lean and relies on reporting from the subsidiaries."

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., joined a bipartisan press conference Tuesday announcing a Russian sanctions bill that members described as the product of the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's sustained advocacy. The legislation would authorize tariffs of up to 100 percent on buyers of Russian oil and expand sanctions targeting Russian oligarchs, banks, and the shadow fleet.

"America is safer when Putin loses," Ricketts said. "Lindsey Graham was very clear-eyed about the threat Vladimir Putin created for the United States — the threat he was to the United States. And he knew that we are safer with peace through strength. And that's why Senator Graham pushed this bill so hard — to make America safer."

Ricketts argued that containing Russia in Ukraine was essential to preventing a wider conflict. "If Putin were to be successful in Ukraine, he will move on NATO members and then we will be involved directly in the war. This sanctions bill will allow us to continue to put pressure on Russia so that we can end this war before that happens and make sure Putin loses," he said.

Two bipartisan energy bills landed Wednesday targeting permitting bottlenecks in geothermal and hydropower development. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., introduced the HEATS Act, which would eliminate duplicative federal permitting for geothermal operations when the federal government owns less than half of the subsurface estate and the operator already holds a state permit. "Burdensome, duplicative federal regulations create roadblocks to developing the energy our nation needs," Hoeven said. The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.

Separately, Daines joined Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., on bipartisan legislation to standardize the Section 408 licensing process for hydropower at Army Corps of Engineers dams. The current process varies by district, creating inconsistent timelines for producers. "Hydropower is an increasingly important source of electricity in the U.S., and provides Montana's second-largest source of electricity generation. As we prepare to meet the expected surge in demand for energy in the coming decades, we need to ensure the licensing process is fair and efficient," Daines said. Hassan cited consumer costs: "As electricity demand continues to grow, we need to make it easier to bring more affordable, reliable energy online."

Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., announced Wednesday the launch of a Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force, joined by seven colleagues including Sens. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Ashley Moody, R-Fla., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis. The task force sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche commending the administration's National Fraud Enforcement Division.

"No Administration has been more committed to rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse than the Trump Administration. I'm proud to join this effort in the Senate and work alongside the White House to eliminate fraud across the federal government," Britt said. Schmitt framed the effort in broader terms: "The fraud epidemic burdening our country is one of the most pressing issues facing Americans today. It's organized theft on a national scale, and the Americans paying the price are the ones swinging the hammer and driving the trucking working their tails off to make ends meet."

In their letter to Blanche, the senators wrote: "The Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force is especially concerned with fraud schemes that undermine the constitutional foundations of self-government: honest elections, lawful citizenship, equal enforcement of federal law, federal-state cooperation, and Congress's ability to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent consistent with law."

The Senate HELP Committee held a confirmation hearing Wednesday for two public health nominees: Dr. Erica Schwartz, nominated to lead the CDC, and Sean Kaufman, nominated as Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at HHS.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., a physician, praised both nominees' credentials while pressing on pharmaceutical supply chains and vaccine policy. "I happen to agree that there are concerns about mRNA technology. The protection is short-lived. These vaccines don't stop transmission of the virus," Marshall said, asking whether the nominees would ensure doctors — not federal agencies — make final recommendations to patients.

Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., questioned Schwartz on her independence from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and pressed her directly on a memo recommending the U.S. narrow its childhood vaccine schedule. Schwartz declined to break with the administration's position. Blunt Rochester responded: "I know that with Senator Cassidy, we have talked about this issue of vaccines for a while, particularly comparing ourselves to Denmark, which is ridiculous. I will share with you, while I think you are immensely qualified, I am very, very concerned that even qualified people have either had to change their positions or quit."

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced legislation Wednesday that would authorize the president to commission private American hackers — described in the bill as "digital privateers" — to conduct offensive cyber operations against designated foreign threats, with recipients required to post a security bond and log all activities. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., introduced a companion House bill.

"Our legislation allows American digital privateers to raid cartels, cybercriminals, and foreign adversaries, disrupting their operations and seizing their assets," Lee said. "This is the ultimate in white hat hacking: stealing from America's enemies at the direction of the President, and splitting the profits with the federal government." The bill draws on Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution and follows Lee's December 2025 legislation authorizing private citizens to assist in border security against cartels.

The bill prohibits letter holders from targeting U.S. citizens, requires full logging of operations, and limits actions to what is necessary for the mission. The president may require up to 15 percent of recovered assets to fund bounty programs.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, introduced the Harry Reid Immigration Stabilization Act Wednesday, framing the legislation as a revival of a bill originally filed by former Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid. The bill would eliminate birthright citizenship, cap refugee admissions, reform the asylum system, and streamline deportation, among other border security measures. Moreno's introduction came shortly after the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship.

"Democrats of the past like Harry Reid knew birthright citizenship is a gift to foreign adversaries. Today, the party that used to advocate for working Americans has become the anti-American party," Moreno said. "They now have a choice: stand with the American people or stand with our enemies." The bill also treats alien smuggling as a RICO offense, requires employers to use a telephone verification system for work eligibility, and would make it a federal crime for non-citizens to vote in any election.

Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., led a group of western senators Wednesday in applauding a Trump Department of the Interior proposal to give western states greater flexibility in managing grizzly bear populations — a step toward full delisting from the Endangered Species Act.

"For decades, Wyoming and other western states have proven that we know how to conserve and manage grizzly bear populations," Lummis said. "Western grizzly bear populations have been recovered for years, yet previous Democrat administrations chose to play politics with delisting instead of following the science. Our ranchers, wildlife managers, and rural communities live alongside these animals every day, and that experience is exactly why they should be the ones making these management calls, not bureaucrats thousands of miles away."

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., cited state investment. "The evidence is clear. The grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are thriving and do not need protection under the Endangered Species Act. In Wyoming, we've invested more than $50 million in this effort," Barrasso said. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., called it "a good first step," while Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., said he looks forward to working with the administration "to delist the grizzly bear."

Signals

• volumeToday's release count of 40 runs 58.6% below the Wednesday average of 96.6, an unusually light day for a midweek session with no recess and no scheduled votes.
• coordinatedNine Republican senators — Britt, Schmitt, Tuberville, Moody, Marshall, Sheehy, Ricketts, Blackburn, and Johnson — simultaneously announced the Senate Anti-Fraud Task Force launch, the largest single-day coordinated rollout in today's release set.
• coordinatedFour western Republican senators — Lummis, Barrasso, Daines, and Sheehy — issued statements in a single release applauding the DOI grizzly bear management proposal on the same day, a coordinated regional signal on ESA delisting.
• coordinatedFive Republican senators — Britt, Hyde-Smith, Wicker, Tuberville, and Cotton — jointly signed a letter to Agriculture Secretary Rollins urging USDA catfish purchases, a cross-state Deep South agricultural coordination.
• recessThe Senate is 26 days from its August state work period; Sen. Rick Scott explicitly referenced the approaching five-week August recess in his background materials as a deadline for passing priority legislation including the SAVE America Act.
• silent breaksSen. Thom Tillis, R-NC, co-signed the Cornyn-Tillis letter to Acting AG Blanche on mifepristone after 72 days of silence — the longest gap in today's silent list and his only public activity reflected in today's releases.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC72d
• Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY42d
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA21d
• Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-HI17d