Democrats flood State, HHS with letters; GOP pushes China trade, space bills

Senators Murray and Kelly each put their names on identical letters to Secretary Rubio demanding timely processing of F, M, and J visas before the fall semester. Thirty senators in total signed the letter.

"Specifically, we are hearing from constituents and stakeholders that no timely visa appointments are available for students at some embassies and consulates. This only exacerbates uncertainty about whether students' visas will be processed in time for them to travel to the United States to begin their studies," the senators wrote.

The letter cited an economic stake: "International students are critical to the success of our universities, including contributing nearly $43 billion annually to local communities and supporting more than 355,000 American jobs during the 2024-2025 academic year." Senators requested a written explanation of the delays within 30 days and asked State to extend interview waivers for vetted returning applicants.

Twenty-one Senate Democrats sent Secretary Rubio a letter Wednesday warning of an imminent Rapid Support Forces siege of El Obeid, Sudan, and demanding concrete action beyond statements.

"While we welcome the State Department's expression of concern about the escalating situation in El Obeid, words are not enough. The United States must use the leverage and influence at our disposal to prevent further atrocities in El Obeid and help bring this brutal war in Sudan to an end," the senators wrote.

The letter drew a direct line to last year's siege of El Fasher. "We have already witnessed what happens when the international community fails to heed warnings of RSF atrocities. The RSF's siege and devastation of El Fasher bore the 'hallmarks of genocide' according to United Nations investigators," they continued. The senators called for the administration to cease certain U.S. arms sales to the UAE and other external actors and estimated that "500,000 civilians are at risk in El Obeid."

Padilla and Murphy led 16 Democratic senators in a letter demanding HHS Secretary Kennedy explain the reported award of a $150 million no-bid contract to Burke Law Group — a Houston firm the senators described as Trump-aligned and lacking immigration law experience — to represent unaccompanied children in ORR custody.

"Given the political connections between the firm's senior leadership and the Trump Administration, we have concerns about why you sidestepped the competitive bidding process to select this firm to provide legal services for children who are in ORR care and custody, and demand transparency into whether all federal procurement processes were followed," the senators wrote.

The letter flagged a timing anomaly: "Within hours of the notice in the Federal Register, the firm appears to have updated their website to include content about immigrant youth that didn't exist on the website the previous day. At best, this is concerning, and at worst, it is a part of a coordinated scheme to paper over the firm's lack of experience." The senators noted Burke Law Group employs just 26 people total and that Kennedy has already cut legal services funding for 26,000 unaccompanied children.

In an op-ed published Wednesday by the Los Angeles Times, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called for Democrats to prioritize Supreme Court reform if they win congressional majorities.

"Future Democratic majorities in Congress — perhaps starting as soon as January — should make repairing the court and reforming the judicial branch a priority to make sure it does not continue to operate as a partisan and retrograde institution," Schiff wrote.

Schiff framed the call around this year's court session, writing that "the decisions handed down in the 2026 session prove just how broken the court has become and how unrepresentative it is of the views of the American people." His proposed agenda includes term limits, court expansion, and a binding ethics code. Last month, he introduced legislation to strengthen accountability and transparency standards across the federal judiciary.

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, sent a letter Wednesday to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin pressing for action against what he described as a systematic Chinese scheme to evade U.S. tariffs by laundering goods through third countries.

"Illegal transshipment is a deliberate scheme by foreign manufacturers, overwhelmingly based in the People's Republic of China, to falsify where their goods are made, launder them through a third country, slap on a new label, and dump them into the American market, eluding tariffs and other duties imposed on the true country of origin. Every one of these shipments represents a company breaking American law and stealing competitive advantage from American businesses," Moreno wrote.

Moreno cited a "record $112 billion gap between what China reported exporting to the United States and what CBP recorded as actually arriving on our shores last year," suggesting as much as a quarter of Chinese exports may have evaded tariff enforcement entirely. He anchored the stakes in Ohio's auto sector, which he said supports more than 329,400 jobs and contributes $41.43 billion to the state's gross state product.

Sens. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., introduced the bipartisan Space Superiority Readiness Act of 2026 Wednesday, directing Space Force to expand wargaming, simulation, and training programs and requiring an unclassified report to Congress on Chinese commercial space capabilities within 180 days of enactment.

"It is well documented that China is determined to dominate the space domain and is working tirelessly to advance its space programs by investing in key sectors of the commercial space economy," said Britt. "The United States must be able to maintain space control in a potential conflict with the People's Republic of China and have the resources and capability required to respond and react to future threats."

Cortez Masto added: "Communist China is expanding its military activities in space, and the United States cannot afford to fall behind." The bill follows a visit by both senators to Pituffik Space Base in Greenland. The legislation is separate from Cortez Masto's concurrent cybersecurity bill for rural utilities, making her one of the more active senators in Wednesday's light-volume environment.

Cortez Masto joined Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., John Hoeven, R-N.D., and John Curtis, R-Utah, in introducing the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act, which would reauthorize the Department of Energy's RMUC Grant and Technical Assistance Program through 2031 and authorize $250 million over five years.

"I was proud to help establish this grant program in the bipartisan infrastructure law to help rural utilities protect themselves from cybersecurity threats," Cortez Masto said. "This program has proven incredibly successful and there is bipartisan support to reauthorize it. As new cyber threats continue to emerge, I'll keep working to ensure our rural communities have what they need to adapt."

The bill serves as the Senate companion to legislation that unanimously passed the House earlier this year. It is endorsed by the Nevada Rural Electric Association, American Public Power Association, and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., introduced the Afghan Ally Records and Credential Heritage Act Wednesday, establishing a Pentagon process to identify, verify, and preserve service records for Afghan nationals who fought alongside U.S. forces. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., are cosponsors.

"We owe an enormous debt to the Afghans who supported U.S. forces during their 20-year mission in Afghanistan," Coons said. "In exchange for that huge risk to themselves and their families, we promised them protection. This is a first step to fulfilling that promise by ensuring those who put their lives on the line for our country don't fall through the cracks."

The ARCH Act would create a secure online application portal for Afghan allies outside the United States, verify service using military, contractor, and biometric records, and maintain the application process for at least 10 years. The bill prohibits application fees and provides an appeals process for adverse decisions.

Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine — both D-Va. — joined 14 Senate colleagues in urging the Trump administration to use all available diplomatic and economic tools to secure the release of five U.S. nationals still held in Russian detention, including Virginian Charles "Chuck" Zimmerman.

"We are deeply concerned that the current Administration has yet to utilize the authorities outlined in the Levinson Act to designate the U.S. nationals detained by the Russian Federation as wrongful detainees and elevate their cases to SPEHA," the senators wrote. "This valuable tool would maximize U.S. government coordination and advance negotiations to ensure their swift release, as well as provide needed resources to the families as they advocate for their loved ones."

The letter followed the recent release of Marine veteran Robert Gilman, who had been described as "unresponsive" and "at risk of dying" from mistreatment before his release. The senators also asked the administration to consider applying the State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention designation — already used against Iran and Afghanistan — to Russia.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., ranking member of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on International Trade, led colleagues in a letter to Secretary Rubio questioning the Trump administration's push to obtain real-time access to personal health data from Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Liberia, and other Sub-Saharan African nations as a condition of receiving U.S. global health assistance.

"State has reportedly demanded that Uganda give the United States direct, real-time access to nine of the nation's health data systems for seven years," the senators wrote. "While global health programs have historically included data sharing components, they have never required direct access to privileged electronic systems for U.S. government representatives."

The senators framed the demand as a departure from decades of health diplomacy, citing the administration's withdrawal from the World Health Organization and restructuring of PEPFAR as related context.

Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., announced Wednesday that the Stop Secret Spending Act — legislation she cosponsored — has passed Congress and is headed to President Trump's desk. The bill requires the federal government to publicly disclose spending conducted through "Other Transaction Agreements," a contracting mechanism that has kept billions in expenditures off public-facing databases.

"Washington has no business hiding how it spends your tax dollars. The Stop Secret Spending Act brings much-needed transparency to a system that has allowed billions of dollars in spending to fly under the radar," Moody said. "Our bosses, the American people, deserve to know how their money is being spent."

The Government Accountability Office found that more than $40 billion was hidden from the public through OTAs from fiscal years 2020 to 2022. Last year alone, more than $18 billion in spending was shielded through the mechanism. The bill requires OTA disclosures on USAspending.gov alongside grants, contracts, and loans.

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced reintroduction of the bipartisan Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act Wednesday alongside Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Jen Kiggans, R-Va. The bill would establish federal limits on mandatory overtime for the nation's 5.2 million registered nurses and nearly 1 million licensed practical and vocational nurses.

"We know that when truck drivers or pilots are pushed past the point of exhaustion, lives are put at risk. The same is true for nurses, and they should not be forced to work to the point that patient safety is jeopardized," Merkley said.

Eighteen states have already enacted restrictions on mandatory nurse overtime. The bill would impose civil penalties for violations, add whistleblower protections against retaliation, and carry endorsements from more than 50 organizations, including the American Nurses Association, National Nurses United, and SEIU.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., joined Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., in introducing the Military Chaplains Modernization Act of 2026, which would codify the duties and qualifications of chaplains across the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force and prohibit commanders from requiring chaplains to perform duties that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.

"Military chaplains serve a unique and important role in our armed forces, providing spiritual guidance to our men and women in uniform. That is why it is imperative that their deeply held religious beliefs must be protected throughout their time in the military," Britt said.

"Congress has a responsibility to make sure they can carry out that calling faithfully, without being forced to violate the tenets of their faith and without fear of retaliation for holding to what they believe," Lankford added. Cosponsors include Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. The Armed Forces Chaplains Board supports the bill.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., visited Golden Rule Apartments in Las Vegas on Wednesday to mark the enactment of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan housing package she helped pass that she described as the largest of its kind in decades.

"The lack of available housing Nevadans can afford, along with the rising costs of homeownership and rent, is squeezing hardworking Nevada families. Addressing this crisis and lowering costs is a top priority for me, which is why I worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass the largest housing package in decades into law," Rosen said.

The law contains more than 40 provisions aimed at expanding housing supply and includes limits on corporate acquisition of single-family units. The in-district event featured Southern Nevada housing leaders, including Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada CEO Michelle Merced, who noted persistent barriers including "land availability, limited or decreased funding, rising construction costs, and the growing gap between wages and housing prices."

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., a member of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, was appointed Wednesday by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to the board of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

"As the Senator for New Mexico, and as the longtime U.S. Representative for IAIA's home in Santa Fe, I'm honored to be appointed to this important leadership position. I've secured funding for IAIA's academic programs, fought back against dangerous budget cuts from the Trump administration, and I'll continue to be a strong advocate for this institution," Luján said.

Signals

• volumeWednesday's 16 releases run approximately 85 percent below the Wednesday baseline of 105.8 — consistent with the ongoing August state work period.
• recessThe Senate remains in its August state work period; no floor votes are scheduled and several releases reflect in-district activity, including Rosen's Las Vegas housing event.
• coordinatedThree separate Democratic letter campaigns — student visa delays (30 signers), Sudan atrocities (21 signers), and unaccompanied children ORR contract (16 signers) — dropped within a two-hour window Wednesday afternoon, with several senators appearing on multiple letters simultaneously.
• coordinatedSen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., issued two separate bills Wednesday — the Space Superiority Readiness Act and the Military Chaplains Modernization Act — making her the highest-volume Republican sender of the day.
• silent breaksSen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, has issued no releases in 29 days; Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK, has been silent 27 days; Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS, 21 days — all during a period when recess suppresses overall volume.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC29d
• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK27d
• Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS21d