Senate passes penny-elimination bill; Democrats flood Trump with health demands

The bipartisan Common Cents Act cleared the Senate by unanimous consent before the chamber adjourned, ending a years-long effort to eliminate the penny from U.S. circulation. The legislation ends penny production, gives businesses legal certainty for cash rounding, allows a lower-cost nickel composition, and requires Congress to be notified before any future coin is discontinued.

"It costs nearly four cents to make a penny that is worth one cent. That is not a good use of taxpayer dollars. The Common Cents Act is a bipartisan, commonsense solution that will save taxpayers millions of dollars while ensuring businesses have clear rules for cash transactions. I'm glad the Senate unanimously passed this legislation and took another step toward bringing our nation's coinage system into the 21st century," said Lankford.

The bill was led by Lankford alongside Lummis, Gillibrand, and Wyden. Backers include the National Retail Federation, the United Steelworkers Union, the National Restaurant Association, and the American Bankers Association, among others.

Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colo., Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Kim Schrier led 88 colleagues in demanding President Trump rescind an executive order directing federal health agencies to overhaul childhood vaccine recommendations and encouraging states to revisit school immunization requirements. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., separately issued her own announcement joining the effort.

"At a moment when the United States is experiencing the highest surge in measles cases in thirty-five years and an increasing number of states forced to declare public health emergencies – your administration is placing more children in harm's way rather than protecting them. This Executive Order overrides decades of scientific evidence and sows fear, chaos, and confusion. The result will not be safer or healthier children; it will be a continued decline in vaccination rates, recurring disease outbreaks, higher healthcare costs, and school disruptions that cause learning loss. Vaccines are rigorously tested and monitored for safety, and save millions of lives each year – especially the lives of children," wrote the lawmakers.

"Every day this Executive Order remains in effect, more children go without the vaccines that would protect them, additional outbreaks become more likely, and lives are put at risk. We urge you to rescind this Executive Order immediately and restore evidence-based decision-making to federal public health policy," the lawmakers concluded.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., joined 25 Senate colleagues in demanding the Environmental Protection Agency withdraw its proposal to rescind the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for PFAS compounds — limits the senators say guard against kidney and testicular cancer, immune suppression, developmental harm, thyroid disease, pregnancy complications, and liver damage.

"Safe drinking water is not a partisan issue. Families across the country expect that when they turn on the tap, their water is safe to drink. Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure EPA relies on the best available science to protect public health — not to weaken existing protections once the science has been established," the senators wrote.

"As far back as the 1950s, scientists observed that PFAS compounds could accumulate in human bloodstreams. It took decades of advocacy and heroic scientific research to reach the historic moment in 2024 when EPA finally promulgated the very first national drinking water standards for PFAS compounds. We cannot afford to go backwards and make Americans' health worse," the senators concluded. Signatories include Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., among others.

Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., demanded that HHS, DHS, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services immediately stop transferring Medicaid data to immigration enforcement authorities. The senators said HHS has acknowledged transferring protected Medicaid information — including data on U.S. citizens — to ICE three times in violation of a federal court order issued in December 2025.

"Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the personal health information of the tens of millions of people who rely on Medicaid is protected and that HHS and CMS comply with federal court orders," the Oregon senators wrote to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. "Medicaid enrollees have a right to expect that their private information will be safeguarded and not employed for mass deportation campaigns."

"Each person whose information was inappropriately disclosed is entitled to know what happened to it, and Congress is entitled to know how a federal agency came to violate the same court order three times in six months," the senators added. "And HHS must suspend all Medicaid data transfers to ICE and DHS pending a comprehensive review of HHS's controls and the court's continuing oversight." The senators set a September 4 deadline for answers. Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., led the letter; Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., also signed.

Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg demanding answers after research found that Meta ran paid advertisements containing AI-generated child sexual abuse material and imagery promoting tools to create non-consensual intimate images across a nine-month period.

Warner wrote: "It strains credulity that Meta was (or is) unknowingly hosting — and profiting from — such blatantly illegal content, when your company explicitly states that it reviews and approves all ads. The CSAM and NCII that Meta hosted were paid ads that Meta's own systems reviewed and approved per Meta's advertising procedures. Researchers also found that new ads continued to appear even after Meta was directly notified of the problem, and that that notification followed a July 2026 BBC investigation that found similar CSAM-linked ads running on Instagram in India."

Warner asked Meta to provide the dates ads were detected and reported, whether Meta distributed or advertised CSAM, unique IDs for ads placed by Meta's eleven Chinese resellers removed for child exploitation policy violations, and the number of paid ads flagged for nudity or exploitation that were shown to users under 18.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to guarantee that the military will not interfere in the 2026 midterm elections, citing President Trump's refusal to rule out such interference. The release notes Slotkin has sought the same assurances from Pentagon leaders under both parties in 2020 and 2024.

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Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., wrote to Dairy Farmers of America CEO Dennis Rodenbaugh demanding the company reverse its decision to close the St. Albans, Vermont, plant and creamery and lay off 80 workers, following what the senators describe as apparent retaliation for union activity.

"This decision will have a devastating impact on your workers, their families, Vermont dairy farmers, and the entire St. Albans community. To make matters worse, the timing of this decision following a recent union contract renegotiation raises concerns that idling the plant appears to be an attempt to illegally union-bust and set an example of the approximately 80 Vermonters represented by Teamsters Local 597," Sanders and Welch wrote. "Without a sufficient explanation, it would be reasonable to conclude that the decision to idle the plant is illegal retaliation for last year's strike. That is unacceptable."

The senators noted that a federal judge granted a restraining order against the closure Monday. Workers had ratified a contract in October 2025 after a nearly two-week strike. "Do the right thing. Reverse your decision to idle the St. Albans plant and creamery. Ensure dairy farmers do not face yet another cost increase on their balance sheets. Protect Franklin County's agricultural economy. Respect your workers' constitutional right to collectively bargain," the senators concluded.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., issued a statement supporting executive action by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to block a copper-sulfide mine within the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

"Minnesotans strongly support protecting the Boundary Waters. We are a mining state, but not this mine in this place. The Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress ignored the science and overturned protections for the Boundary Waters, but the fight continues here at home," said Smith. "I strongly support Minnesota using all our regulatory powers to stop this mine. I also support the legislature taking action to stop this mine. At the end of the day, this is about a foreign company mining our metals, shipping them to China, almost certainly polluting the BWCA in the process, and then selling them back to us for their profit and our loss. I'm glad Minnesota is standing up to protect this precious place."

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., joined Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and 27 colleagues in demanding the State Department explain why visa appointment availability for international students has dried up at some embassies — a bottleneck the senators say disproportionately affects students from Latin American countries.

"We urge the State Department to ensure timely processing of F, M, and J student and exchange visitor nonimmigrant visas, consistent with the approach taken by administrations of both parties in the past, and to implement other measures to avoid diminishing U.S. competitiveness," the 30 senators wrote.

"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. Even though international students make up only six percent of the total higher education population, their enrollment creates opportunities for American students," the senators continued. The letter requests an explanation within 30 days and calls for extended interview waivers for vetted returning applicants.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued nine releases announcing DOJ Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant awards to Texas cities and counties, totaling more than $6.6 million. Recipients include Houston ($2.86 million), Dallas and Dallas County ($1.09 million), Bexar County ($973,878), Fort Worth, Arlington, and Tarrant County ($577,626), Austin ($464,939), Lubbock ($219,215), Waco ($70,637), Killeen ($92,208), Corpus Christi and Nueces County ($212,068), and El Paso County ($189,848).

"Access to proper equipment, emerging drone technologies, and modernized training is essential to ensuring our law enforcement officers are best able to protect Texans," said Cornyn across the releases. "This funding will equip law enforcement with the tools and resources needed to improve incident response times, aerial intelligence capabilities, and public safety outcomes."

On Bexar County, Cornyn added: "There is a domestic violence epidemic in the United States, and we owe it to survivors, victims, and the American people to get dangerous attackers off our streets." Cornyn cited his vote for last year's Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act as the legislative vehicle that funded the JAG program.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., announced three separate federal funding awards for Rhode Island on Tuesday: $13.5 million for upgrades to the Providence Ferry Terminal, $3 million to repair and modernize elevators at two Pawtucket public housing high-rises, and $1.9 million in NSF scholarships for cybersecurity graduate students at the University of Rhode Island.

"This is a win for Rhode Island and a smart investment in improving operational efficiency of the Providence Ferry Terminal and building modern, new amenities. It will make ferry service more accessible and family-friendly," said Reed on the ferry grant. On the housing funds, Whitehouse said: "We come with good news for the residents of Kennedy Manor and Fogarty Manor, who have dealt with elevator breakdowns for too long. With upgraded elevators, hundreds of affordable apartments in Pawtucket will be able to remain in use."

On the cybersecurity scholarships, Whitehouse said: "This NSF funding will help provide opportunities for URI students who are interested in tackling the pressing cybersecurity challenges of our time." Thirty URI master's students will receive scholarships covering unmet financial need of up to $20,000 per year for up to five years.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., jointly announced a $32 million FAA Airport Improvement Program grant to Tucson International Airport to advance construction of a second full-length runway and shift the existing runway 800 feet to meet current safety standards.

"Today is a big win for Tucson. This federal investment will make Tucson International safer and more efficient, expand capacity, and strengthen Southern Arizona's economy and military operations," said Kelly. "I toured this project in 2023, and this funding brings us closer to the finish line. I look forward to seeing the new runway open and more flights coming through Tucson."

"This federal investment will go a long way toward helping Tucson International Airport complete critical safety improvements and bring its airfield into compliance with current FAA standards. I'm proud to support investments that keep Arizona's airports safe, modern, and ready to serve our growing communities," said Gallego. Kelly's office noted the grant draws from airport infrastructure funds provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., promoted an appearance on the Civic Cipher podcast in which he discussed his two-bill package — the Educators for America Act and the Building Community in America Act — aimed at recruiting more men into teaching and mentoring roles.

"The numbers have gone down dramatically. Decades ago, it was about thirty-five percent of teachers were men. Today, that number is twenty-three percent. In some places, it's even lower than that. And it's the same for mentors. Programs like AmeriCorps and the Boys and Girls Club do not have enough men mentoring men," said Kelly.

"Young men are really struggling. They spend much more time on their phone. They often don't think they have opportunity. They don't have opportunities for relationships like they used to because of social media," Kelly continued. "The best money we spend as a nation — after spending twenty-five years in the United States Navy and working at NASA for fifteen years — the best money we spend in this country is spending it on education. That's my view because you get it back. You get it back with the future success of young people."

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced $150,000 — the maximum award — under the Federal Highway Administration's Roadside Pollinator Program for the Oregon Department of Transportation to plant native seed mixes and adjust mowing practices along state highways.

"Pollinators need healthy habitats to survive and benefit Oregon's farms, forests, and natural landscapes," said Merkley. "This project is a great example of how we can make our roadsides work even better for Oregon, creating habitat for iconic species such as the Western Monarch and native bees while building greater resilience to drought."

"Bees and butterflies will all benefit from this fresh federal investment in pollinator health that's a key to fighting drought and supporting landscapes native to Oregon," said Wyden. "I very much look forward as I travel our state's highways all over Oregon to witnessing the results of this innovative effort." Merkley authored the original Monarch and Pollinator Highway Act that created the Roadside Pollinator Program as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, joined Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey at GE Aerospace's Cincinnati headquarters to highlight the company's development of next-generation engines for U.S. defense systems, including a new contract tied to the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile.

"Ohioans at GE Aerospace are doing cutting-edge work right here at home that is essential to the defense and security of our country. I'm grateful Under Secretary Duffey and I could see firsthand how GE Aerospace's engines — developed and tested by Ohio engineers — will be integrated into platforms like the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile. You can't do Made-in-America without Ohio and I'm proud of these Ohio-based professionals' hard work develop the next generation of engines that will power mission critical platforms. This contract is a significant achievement for GE Aerospace and our nation's military," said Husted.

GE Aerospace and Kratos' GEK800 engine, designated F143 by the U.S. military, received an Engineering, Manufacturing and Development contract with the U.S. Air Force for use as a second-source propulsion system on the JASSM cruise missile.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, published an essay marking the upcoming 106th anniversary of the 19th Amendment's certification on Aug. 26, 1920, recounting Texas women's role in the suffrage movement and spotlighting two advocates — Mariana Folsom and Eliza E. Peterson.

The piece traces the suffrage movement from the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention through Texas' ratification of the amendment in 1919 — the first Southern state to do so — and Governor William P. Hobby's 1918 signing of primary voting rights for Texas women, which resulted in 386,000 women registering to vote.

Cornyn did not attach legislation or a policy ask to the release.

Signals

• volumeTuesday release count of 29 is 69.8 percent below the Tuesday daily average of 96.1, consistent with the August state work period recess.
• recessThe Senate is in its August state work period recess; no floor votes are scheduled and no releases originated from floor activity.
• voteThe Common Cents Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent before adjournment — the only legislative action in today's release set.
• coordinatedThree separate Democratic letter campaigns dropped on the same day targeting childhood vaccine policy (90 signatories), PFAS drinking water protections (26 senators), and Medicaid-ICE data sharing (6 senators), all directed at Trump administration agencies.
• coordinatedSen. John Cornyn issued nine near-identical press releases within a 15-minute window announcing DOJ JAG grants to Texas cities, a volume rollout pattern consistent with batch grant announcement coordination.
• silent breaksSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has not issued a release in 35 days — the longest silence in today's tracker — through a period that includes the vaccine, PFAS, and Medicaid data controversies.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC35d
• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK33d
• Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS27d
• Sen. John Fetterman, D-PA15d