Iran war costs, mail-in voting, state renaming dominate thin recess day

Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-Va., announced the DCA Air Safety Act on Thursday, framing it as a direct response to the January 2025 midair collision near Reagan National Airport.

"We owe it to the victims of the fatal mid-air collision near DCA and their loved ones to take action and prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again. DCA's overburdened runway is the busiest in the country, and the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the January 2025 crash underscored the serious risks posed by unsustainable traffic levels at the airport. Yet since the collision, there have been numerous near misses in DCA airspace," said Sen. Warner.

Kaine added that the scope of the problem demands more than incremental fixes. "While I support various proposals to help do that, it's obvious that any set of reforms that doesn't address overcrowding at this airport — which sits along restricted airspace and is already operating beyond capacity — is dangerously insufficient," said Sen. Kaine.

The bill would require the FAA to reduce DCA's Airport Arrival Rate to no more than 28 aircraft per consecutive 60-minute period and phase in slot eliminations at six per year beginning in 2028, with full implementation required by the end of 2032.

Warner and Kaine joined a bipartisan, bicameral amicus brief Thursday urging the Supreme Court to block a Postal Service rule that imposes new requirements on mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterms, including a "citizenship verification list" mandate and USPS control over who can vote by mail.

"As current and former legislators, amici took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States — including its guarantee of the separation of powers," wrote the lawmakers in the court filing.

The brief argues Trump's Executive Order 14399 and the USPS final rule violate the separation of powers. "The Constitution does not contemplate the Executive Branch acting unilaterally to assert power over federal elections. Yet that is what the Order and Final Rule do," the lawmakers wrote.

The filing pointed to a recent district court ruling blocking USPS from implementing the rule, which found the agency's actions "substantively unconstitutional and contrary to law." The lawmakers concluded: "The integrity of our constitutional system depends on each branch keeping to its assigned role."

The full New Mexico congressional delegation — led by Sens. Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich, both D-N.M. — wrote to Apple CEO John Ternus and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday, demanding the companies publicly commit to keeping New Mexico's name on their mapping services after President Trump posted suggestions over Labor Day weekend that the state be renamed "New America."

"Let us be clear: the President has no legal authority to rename New Mexico. Our state's name belongs to the people of New Mexico and is rooted in our history and our Constitution, which clearly states that 'the name of this state is New Mexico,'" wrote the lawmakers.

The letter cited prior episodes in which the companies updated their maps to reflect Trump's renaming directives — including the Gulf of Mexico, Denali, and Lake Ontario. "We ask each of you to publicly commit that Apple Maps and Google Maps will continue to identify the State of New Mexico as New Mexico, regardless of what the President posts on social media, what executive order he attempts to issue, or what pressure he puts on your companies," the lawmakers continued.

Luján's office also appended his personal reaction to Trump's posts: "It's New Mexico, always has been and always will be. Just like how you'll always be a sinvergüenza and corrupt."

Two senators cited the Iran war's impact on American farmers Thursday, converging on input costs as a pressure point even as their legislative vehicles differed.

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., announced he cosponsored the bipartisan Homegrown Fertilizer Act, which would authorize USDA grants and loans to expand domestic fertilizer manufacturing, processing, and storage. "As a result of the Trump Administration's war in Iran, input costs are soaring for Georgia farmers," said Ossoff. "I'm working with Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to make more fertilizer here at home to strengthen critical supply chains and lower costs for one of our State's largest industries."

Separately, five Democratic senators — Patty Murray, D-Wash.; Chris Coons, D-Del.; Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich. — issued a joint statement against Trump's tariffs on Canada, framing the trade war as compounding existing cost pressures. "President Trump's tariffs have already cost American families as much as $5,000 in some states, and his senseless trade war with Canada will only grow that number," the senators wrote.

The statement also tied the Canada dispute to the Iran conflict more broadly: "Instead of working with our neighbors, President Trump is doubling down on a pointless trade war," while American partners "are increasingly looking to diversify away from the United States and deepen trade ties with other countries including China."

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., announced Thursday that the Federal Transit Administration awarded SEPTA an $80 million grant through the All Stations Accessibility Program to fund elevator installations and raised platforms at three Philadelphia trolley stations — 22nd Street, 33rd Street, and 36th Street.

"This money will make all the difference for our seniors, for Pennsylvanians with disabilities, and for anyone who relies on SEPTA," said Fetterman. "I'm proud of the steps SEPTA has already taken to make its system more accessible for all riders, and I'm grateful for the FTA's support of this important work."

The three stations serve the Center City Trolley Tunnel, which connects more than 60,000 daily riders to employment centers in Center City and University City. SEPTA General Manager Scott A. Sauer said the award brings total ASAP funding to eight Metro station accessibility projects for the authority.

Sen. James E. Risch, R-Idaho, celebrated the EPA's issuance of its first-ever permit under the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Pilot Program Thursday. The permit allows Trout Unlimited to proceed with the Bodie Mine Project in Okanogan County, Washington.

"The first Good Samaritan permit is a momentous occasion, ending decades worth of legal battles that prevented commonsense environmental improvements from taking place at long-abandoned hardrock mines," said Risch. "Our good faith actors and our Good Sam law give us the tools to finally allow this important work to address water quality issues to move forward in a meaningful way."

The program was established by legislation Risch wrote alongside Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and signed into law in December 2024.

Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio, amplified a Signal Akron article Thursday detailing how an $875,000 grant he secured for Stark State College's Commercial Driver's License Instruction Center enabled a Carrollton, Ohio man to more than double his salary.

The article quoted program graduate Chase Pitre: "This program gave me opportunities I didn't know were possible." Pitre completed the five-week CDL course and was hired at Marathon transporting crude oil across Ohio and into West Virginia.

Husted also advocated during his campus visit for expanding federal Pell grant eligibility to cover workforce education programs for lower-income students. Stark State breaks ground on the new CDL facility next month.

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., appeared at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston for a public conversation with author Rye Barcott, with his office releasing excerpts Thursday. Kelly drew on his experience as a shuttle commander to critique what he described as a failure of leadership in the decision to go to war with Iran.

"When you see leaders in our government who don't take the input and think they know more than everyone about everything, that is a problem and it's dangerous. And it's what has gotten into the situation where we find ourselves in today. We're in a at war with Iran, there was no strategic goal, there was no plan, there was no timeline, there was no exit strategy, and now we're stuck," said Kelly. "That's what happens when you have a leader who believes they know better than everybody else."

Kelly also described the leadership model he applied as a shuttle commander: "I'd sit them down and I would say, 'You are required to question my decisions, not optional...But if you think we should be doing something differently at either safety or mission success, you have to tell me about it and we're going to figure it out together.'"

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., spent part of the week in southern New Mexico, delivering the keynote at the Domenici Public Policy Conference at New Mexico State University and visiting Ogaz Farms in Derry to meet with chile producers during harvest season.

"This week in Derry, I had the honor of meeting with New Mexico chile producers at the height of harvest season," said Luján. "I heard directly from chile producers about the challenges they are facing and highlighted my efforts to ensure they get the assistance they need."

Luján introduced the Cultivating Horticultural Innovation in Local Economies (CHILE) Act in June to strengthen support for specialty crop producers. He said of the conference appearance: "I was especially grateful for the opportunity to hear from students and discuss the work ahead to build a stronger future for New Mexico."

Signals

• volumeToday's 10 releases ran 88.6% below the Thursday average of 87.4, consistent with the chamber's ongoing August state work period recess.
• recessThe Senate remains in its August state work period recess; no floor votes are scheduled and the next recess date is not yet set.
• coordinatedFive Democratic senators — Murray, Coons, Shaheen, Klobuchar, and Slotkin — issued a joint statement on Canada tariffs under Murray's banner, the day's only multi-senator coordinated rollout.
• silent breaksSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has not issued a release in 58 days — the longest gap among active senators — followed by Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., at 56 days and Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-Miss., at 50 days.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC58d
• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK56d
• Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS50d
• Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-MT36d
• Sen. Cynthia M. Lummis, R-WY35d
• Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY34d
• Sen. John Barrasso, R-WY28d
• Sen. Ron Johnson, R-WI25d
• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC24d
• Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-AK24d