Democrats demand Iran war accounting; DHS voter data probe sought

Senators pushing for Pentagon transparency cited a stark disparity between the current war's disclosure record and past conflicts. The letter noted that Hegseth has briefed Congress only seven times in six months and held just eight Pentagon press briefings or interviews since the war began, compared to more than 70 press briefings in the first month of the Iraq War alone.

"Meanwhile, at home, American taxpayers have already paid an extra $100 billion out of their pockets for higher gas and diesel prices alone and at least another $60 billion in higher costs for things like groceries, mortgages, and plane tickets as a result of the war," wrote the senators in the Slotkin-led letter. "Now you are asking that they pay again to fund a war of choice that Congress never authorized and the President launched with no strategic plan."

The senators criticized the administration's supplemental funding request as a seven-page document with vague line items — contrasting it with the detailed, hundred-page supplemental requests provided during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They requested a detailed breakdown of all direct and indirect costs of military operations against Iran, a full accounting of the $67 billion supplemental request, and a detailed plan for the remaining $34 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

"Despite asking for tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars, you have so far failed to provide basic information on how this money has and will be spent," continued the senators. "Congress must have access to this information to carry out our oversight responsibilities. It is the bare minimum that any American would expect in balancing their own household budget."

Sen. Gillibrand added in a separate release: "Secretary Hegseth's tenure at DoD continues to be marred by blatant carelessness and incompetent leadership that has endangered our troops, jeopardized our national security, and left working families paying higher costs."

Eighteen senators called Friday for the DHS Inspector General to immediately open an independent investigation into a whistleblower's disclosure alleging that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers were directed to falsely certify they were individual voters in order to access state voter registration systems — conduct the senators described as a violation of state laws.

"The DHS Office of Inspector General's mission is '[t]o provide independent oversight and promote excellence, integrity, and accountability within DHS,'" wrote the senators in the Padilla-Schumer letter. "We urge you to carry out that mission by immediately opening an independent investigation into the alleged wrongdoings detailed in the whistleblower's claims, which describe agency leadership directing officers to violate the law and DHS standards of integrity."

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-Va., issued a parallel release focused on the Virginia dimension of the allegation, noting that the state's online voter portal requires users to certify they are accessing their own record. Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones warned DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin that officers' actions "potentially violates several Virginia laws," according to the Warner-Kaine release.

The senators flagged election timing as a factor. "Given the time-sensitive nature of these claims, and the potential for misuse of this information for political purposes in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, please provide weekly updates on the status of your investigation," the senators concluded. They also asked the OIG to use "every tool at your disposal, including a management alert," to prevent additional wrongdoing during the investigation.

Six senior Senate Democrats — including the ranking members of the Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Armed Services, and Intelligence committees — issued a joint statement Friday on a reported errant U.S. strike on a home hosting a wedding in Kuhestak, Iran on September 1.

"Reports that a strike on a home in Kuhestak, Iran that killed four civilians, including women and a child, and injured more than 60 others was likely caused by an errant U.S. bomb are shocking and deeply troubling," wrote Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Chris Coons, D-Del. "This is not the first time that U.S. strikes have resulted in civilian casualties during this war of choice, and it once again raises grave concerns about the Trump administration's disregard for protecting civilian life."

The senators referenced a February 28 strike on a school in Minab that the statement says killed 175 civilians, mostly children, and for which they said Congress has still not received a full Pentagon investigation. "The public deserves to know what led to these failures and what is being done to prevent similar incidents in the future. This war must end."

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., joined Rep. James McGovern, D-Mass., Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., in a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the administration to halt deportations of individuals who fled persecution in China, including Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, and Tibetans currently held in ICE detention.

"Many people who have fled persecution in the PRC come to the United States with an expectation that they can find refuge," the members wrote. "They should be given every opportunity to apply for asylum if they have not yet done so and given fair and timely consideration of such application for asylum or other protection. Under no circumstances should at-risk individuals be deported to the PRC."

The lawmakers, all members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, made the letter public specifically so immigration attorneys could use it in active cases. "There are likely many more detainees at ICE facilities, perhaps lacking representation, who fear deportation to a country run by a government that seeks to do them harm," the members continued. "There are perhaps others who have already been sent back to the PRC who are now experiencing persecution, torture or worse."

A bipartisan group of more than 150 lawmakers — including Sens. Merkley and Ron Wyden, D-Ore. — urged Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Friday to abandon a proposed transfer of federally managed public land within Yosemite National Park that would facilitate private access to an 83-acre parcel adjacent to the park known as Hazel Green Ranch.

"At its core, this proposal appears to provide a private benefit at the expense of land that belongs to all Americans," wrote the lawmakers. "Any decision to relinquish public land to private ownership should be supported by a clear and compelling public benefit, not merely the economic interests of a private party."

The letter flagged that the chief executive of Kingsbarn — the private company seeking access — began making donations to Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee in late 2024, shortly after the company acquired the Hazel Green Ranch property. The senators noted the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee had not agreed to move forward with the project. "Public lands belong in public hands," the lawmakers concluded. "Protection of public lands is a bipartisan issue, overwhelmingly supported by the American people from all walks of life."

Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., released a third report from his ongoing investigation into insurance company denials and delays of medically necessary care Friday, this installment focusing on patients experiencing prolonged pain.

"No American should be delayed or denied needed health care. It is unacceptable that Americans, who are paying record premiums to insurers making record profits in the world's richest country, are nevertheless denied medically necessary care," Sen. Ossoff said. "I will continue exposing these practices and working to ban insurance companies from denying or delaying needed health care."

The report documents cases including a Valdosta woman, Patricia Moore, who received recommendations for urgent spine surgery from two separate surgeons after two MRIs, but whose insurer refused to cover the procedure, requiring physical therapy instead. Moore's physical therapist subsequently determined therapy would not alleviate her symptoms. Ossoff's first report covered ACA tax credit losses; the second detailed life-threatening untreated conditions and financial hardship stemming from prior authorization denials.

Sen. Merkley and Rep. Emily Randall, D-Wash., introduced a resolution Friday marking September 20 as National LGBTQ+ Servicemembers and Veterans Day — the 15th anniversary of the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

"America's servicemembers and veterans come from all walks of life, but they all share a common commitment to serve our nation," said Merkley. "These heroes put on their uniform knowing their country would likely ask them to hide who they are, deny who they love, or punish them simply for living openly. For generations, LGBTQ+ Americans have answered the call to serve, and we should honor their service and acknowledge the discrimination they endured."

The resolution notes that more than 100,000 servicemembers were discharged from the Armed Forces on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity between World War II and 2011. It calls for greater awareness of historical injustices including unjust discharges and bans on transgender military service, and urges the federal government to ensure LGBTQ+ veterans receive recognition and benefits earned through service.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., disclosed Friday that she traveled to Poland in August to meet with Polish and U.S. government and military leaders, including Polish Deputy Defense Minister Pawel Zalewski and Minister Marcin Przydacz of the Presidential Chancellery's International Policy Bureau.

Topics included bilateral defense cooperation, Poland's investment in defense at 4.7 percent of GDP — the highest rate among NATO members — and discussions about increasing the number of U.S. servicemembers stationed in Poland on a more permanent basis. Rosen also visited Special Operations Task Force 10.1 at Camp Miron, described in the release as the easternmost U.S. Special Operations Forces facility in Europe, and met with military leaders from U.S. Army Europe and Africa and the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., appeared before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Friday to advocate for two bills: the Dry Redwater Regional Water Authorization Act and the Hydropower Licensing and Affordability Act.

Daines brought water samples from McCone County, Montana, to illustrate the need for the water bill. "These samples aren't from third-world countries. They're coming out of faucets in Montana," he said, describing the discolored water visible in the samples. The bill would authorize a water system to serve more than 30,000 Montanans across Dawson, Garfield, McCone, Prairie, and Richland counties in Montana, plus McKenzie County in North Dakota, following a Bureau of Reclamation feasibility study completed after five years.

On the hydropower bill, Senate Bill 5048, Daines said it targets what he described as abuse of mandatory conditioning authority by federal agencies. "This bill would remove the abuse without weakening environmental or endangered species protections or limiting tribal and state consultation," he said, adding that the bill would limit mandatory conditions to those that "reasonably mitigate the direct adverse effect of the applicable project."

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced the Subterranean Border Defense Act Friday, amending the Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2012 to require U.S. Customs and Border Protection to submit a yearly strategic report on efforts to counter illicit cross-border tunnel operations. The bill previously passed the House in March 2025.

"For four miserable years, Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet for human traffickers, drug smugglers, and other international criminals to illegally enter and terrorize our country," said Scott. "Under President Trump, fentanyl deaths have plummeted, and our neighborhoods are safer, but we need to make sure it stays that way — and that no future president can bring back the chaos."

Background provided in the release states a Homeland Security Task Force investigation in June uncovered a tunnel network between San Diego and Tijuana containing 2,200 pounds of cocaine worth roughly $45 million. Officials have discovered more than 140 tunnels breaching the U.S. border since 1990, with tunnel activity increasing 80 percent since 2008.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, issued a statement Friday after the Senate confirmed Kasdin Mitchell to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas — Dallas Division.

"Kasdin Mitchell is a well-regarded litigator and a former clerk for some of our nation's sharpest legal minds, and it's no surprise that President Trump selected her to serve as a U.S. District Judge," said Sen. Cornyn. "The Northern District of Texas is fortunate to be gaining such a bright attorney and trusted public servant who will excel on the federal bench, and I am glad she has been confirmed."

Mitchell is a litigation partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP and previously clerked for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Judge William H. Pryor Jr. Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, recommended Mitchell following a review process by the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee.

The Senate passed a resolution Friday honoring the life and legacy of country music icon Dolly Parton, led by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn. — a bipartisan rollout.

"Dolly Parton was a legend, an icon, and an inspiration. Las Vegans and visitors enjoyed her shows for close to half a century, and books from her Imagination Library line the bookshelves of countless Nevada children," said Senator Cortez Masto. "Today, we stand together to honor her contributions to American music, her lifetime of generosity and service, and her embrace of all people."

"Dolly is truly a Tennessee legend," said Senator Hagerty. "From her humble beginnings in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains to worldwide fame, Dolly exemplified the American Dream." Parton's Imagination Library has provided over 332,000,000 books to children worldwide. She wrote more than 3,000 songs and released 49 studio albums.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., unveiled two bills Friday aimed at addressing food insecurity among college students. The Hot Meals for College Students Act would allow students to use SNAP benefits to purchase hot and prepared meals from on-campus vendors. The Food for Thought Act would direct USDA to establish a grant program for colleges to offer free meals to low-income students.

"College students should never have to worry about where their next meal will come from or have to drop out because they can't afford food and tuition. These bills are a commonsense approach to addressing student hunger and strengthening higher education," said Senator Schiff.

Schiff developed the legislation through campus visits, including a stop at San Bernardino Valley College where student trustee Jazmyn Garcia raised the SNAP hot meal barrier. "I'm a full-time STEM student, I work, and SNAP is my food budget. I already qualify for these benefits, but I can't use them to buy a hot meal from the cafeteria on my own campus," said Garcia in the release.

Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-Va., condemned the Trump administration's decision to repeal a 2009 executive order coordinating federal Chesapeake Bay restoration efforts.

"For more than a decade-and-a-half, the federal government has worked alongside states and local communities to restore the Chesapeake Bay and protect one of Virginia's greatest natural and economic resources," wrote the senators. "The Trump administration's decision to repeal the 2009 executive order, which to this point has maintained considerable bipartisan support, dismantles a longstanding framework for coordinating that federal effort, including work to expand scientific research, assess the impacts of climate change, and tackle pollution from agricultural runoff and stormwater."

"Rolling back efforts to clean up the Bay is dangerous not just for our environment but for our economy," they continued. "We should be building on the progress we've made instead of walking away from a framework that has guided restoration efforts for more than 15 years."

A bipartisan group of Oregon and Washington lawmakers — led by Sen. Merkley and including Sens. Wyden, Murray, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. — sent a letter Friday urging USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to purchase Pacific Hake (whiting) fillets under the department's Section 32 purchase program to stabilize a market disrupted by the war in Ukraine and trade pressures.

"Historically, Pacific whiting exports to Ukraine, one of the largest whiting fillet markets, reached up to nearly $95 million per year, but instability in the region as a result of war has put that market in jeopardy and caused significant impacts to the supply chain," wrote the lawmakers. "Compounded by trade embargoes, increased imported competition from low-cost proteins, inflationary pressures, rising operational costs, and more, these factors threaten the long-term stability and viability of this once-booming market."

The lawmakers stressed: "We ask the USDA to continue that partnership by addressing these sustained market losses that have created vast economic strains and challenges for our seafood industry."

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., applauded a $2.52 billion Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan announced Friday for the Mobile River Bridge and Bayway Project, described in the release as the largest infrastructure project in Alabama history.

"Ever since I got to Washington, I've been hearing from Alabamians about the urgent need to expand the Mobile Bay Bridge," said Senator Tuberville. "For four years, Joe Biden sat on his hands, but thankfully, President Trump and Secretary Duffy are taking action. This long-overdue bridge expansion will relieve traffic, enhance safety, and expand freight access to the Port. This project is a game-changer for the Gulf."

The project will construct a new six-lane cable-stayed bridge over the Mobile River and expand the Bayway from two to three lanes in each direction, removing hazardous materials truck routes from downtown Mobile streets.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., applauded the Department of Veterans Affairs announcement of grants to 13 Indiana-based organizations serving homeless veterans, calling it a record level of funding under the Grant Per Diem and Supportive Services for Veteran Families programs.

"Every veteran who has served our country deserves a safe place to call home and the support they need to get back on their feet," said Sen. Banks. "I'm grateful to Secretary Collins and President Trump for investing in Indiana organizations that are doing this important work every day, and I am proud to support their efforts to make sure no Hoosier veteran is left behind."

Grants begin October 1, 2026, and will fund transitional housing, eviction prevention, rehousing, and case management services. Recipient organizations include HVAF of Indiana, Anchor House, Shepherd's House, and Volunteers of America of Indiana, among others.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., warned Friday that Congress faces a narrowing window to address Social Security's looming insolvency, speaking at the Semafor Future of Health Forum. Cassidy, chairman of the Senate HELP Committee, also highlighted the recently passed bipartisan Patients Deserve Price Tags Act.

"The window is closing, closing, closing," said Dr. Cassidy. "But the longer you wait to fix Social Security, the worse it gets. And it doesn't just get worse marginally. It gets worse a percentage point, another percentage point, and so on."

On health care pricing, Cassidy said: "Health care is one of the few things in which you don't know how much it's going to cost when you walk in the door. Our Patients Deserve Price Tags Act will do that for the patient. And it'll do it in a way which prevents a lot of the arbitrage to maximize profits for intermediaries, but to maximize savings for the patient, the employer, and the employee."

Sens. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., introduced the Addiction Grants Modernization Act Friday, which would create an interactive website and a centralized application for organizations seeking federal addiction-related grant funding across prevention, treatment, and recovery programs.

"Addressing substance use disorders in communities across the country begins by supporting the organizations providing life-changing care," said Sen. Scott. "The Addiction Grants Modernization Act aims to simplify and streamline the grant application process for these organizations. By creating a unified application system that protects existing grant structures and funding levels, this legislation will reduce administrative and bureaucratic burdens so organizations can spend less time navigating paperwork and more time helping individuals."

"Local leaders and advocates across New Hampshire are working every day to help Granite Staters enter and stay in recovery — and thanks to their work, we're finally beginning to see a drop in overdose deaths in New Hampshire," said Sen. Hassan. "This bipartisan bill will support the people on the frontlines of fighting this crisis so that they can focus less on red tape and more on their important work of saving lives."

Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Todd Young, R-Ind., discussed their SHIPS for America Act at a Hudson Institute event Friday, with Kelly making the national security case for revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding capacity.

"When I got here to the Senate in 2020, one of the problems I wanted to try to solve is this national security problem and economic security problem of not having a robust shipbuilding and shipping capacity to get stuff across the oceans," said Kelly. He noted the U.S. merchant fleet has shrunk from roughly 400 ocean-going ships during Operation Desert Storm to approximately 80 today.

"If we don't, and we wind up in a major conflict with a near-peer adversary, and you get beyond maybe the first weeks of a conflict and things aren't going well, we're going to be wishing that we solved this problem decades ago," Kelly said.

Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Gary Peters, D-Mich., introduced the Visionary Intersections Modernization Act Friday, legislation that would amend the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program to make roundabout construction an eligible use of federal funding.

"Federal investments in infrastructure should prioritize safety and allow communities to best protect their residents," said Senator Young. "Roundabouts have proven to be a safe and effective way to improve traffic flow and reduce serious accidents. In Indiana, communities like Carmel have demonstrated the benefits roundabouts can provide for drivers and pedestrians."

The release notes that Carmel, Indiana — home to approximately 150 roundabouts — has seen accidents with injuries decline approximately 80 percent and overall accidents by 40 percent since the city began constructing them in the late 1990s.

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., celebrated President Trump's signing of the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Extension Act Friday, which extends the National Emergency Services Memorial Foundation's authority to construct a national memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring EMS professionals killed in the line of duty.

"This bipartisan victory is about honoring the men and women who dedicate their lives to protecting others. EMS professionals run toward emergencies when others are running away, and too many have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their communities," said Senator Schmitt. "I'm proud to see President Trump sign this bill into law so we can ensure those heroes are remembered with the lasting recognition they deserve."

The original authorization expired in 2025 after being enacted in 2018. The new law extends the Foundation's deadline to establish the memorial through 2032. The memorial is fully funded by the Foundation, with no taxpayer dollars used and any surplus returned to the federal government upon completion. Trump signed the bill on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

Signals

• coordinated45-46 Senate Democrats signed two separate high-profile oversight letters on the same day — one demanding Iran war cost accounting from Hegseth, one demanding a DHS voter data investigation — representing near-caucus-wide coordination on distinct executive branch accountability actions.
• coordinatedSen. Merkley, D-Ore., issued four separate releases on four distinct topics Friday — LGBTQ+ veterans resolution, Yosemite land transfer, China deportation letter, and West Coast fisheries — the highest single-day output observed in this input set.
• volumeFriday total of 43 releases runs 5% below the Friday baseline of 45.2, consistent with a light pre-weekend cadence with 17 days remaining before the pre-election state work period recess.
• recessSenate is 17 days from the pre-election state work period recess; no scheduled floor votes are listed for today.
• silent breaksSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has now gone 66 days without a public release — the longest silence in the tracked cohort — followed by Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., at 64 days and Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., at 58 days.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC66d
• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK64d
• Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS58d
• Sen. Rand Paul, R-KY42d
• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC32d
• Sen. Mike Rounds, R-SD31d
• Sen. Peter Welch, D-VT24d
• Sen. Tom Cotton, R-AR17d