Senate passes college sports bill, TRIA reauthorization; AI debate erupts on floor

The Senate passed the Protect College Sports Act, which would establish a national rulebook for eligibility, transfers, recruiting, NIL rights, and revenue sharing across college athletics. The legislation also includes Title IX protections and blocks formation of a so-called Super League.

"College athletics are currently the Wild Wild West, and the lack of clear, consistent guidelines at the federal level is hurting athletes, universities, and fans," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "This legislation would restore order in college sports by implementing much-needed guardrails surrounding eligibility, transfers, NIL rights, and revenue-sharing to better protect schools and players both on and off the field."

Sen. Young, who had voted against an earlier committee version, backed the final bill after negotiating changes. "Over the past few months, I have pushed for reforms to this legislation to ensure the interests of all Indiana colleges and universities, including our two Big Ten schools, are represented," Young said. "I support this legislation because I believe it is the right approach to protect the future of college sports."

Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., secured a floor amendment lifting the conference cap from 19 to 20 teams — a change she said was "vital to future of Florida schools' ability to continue to thrive in college athletics." The University of Miami, Florida State University, and the University of South Florida had publicly backed her effort.

The Senate passed the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2026 by unanimous vote, extending the federal reinsurance backstop by seven years through the end of 2034. Roughly 60 percent of American businesses currently carry terrorism risk insurance that relies on the TRIA backstop.

"Without this bill, a potential terrorism event would mean an even greater financial catastrophe for businesses and taxpayers. It's critical that we keep terrorism risk insurance available and affordable to businesses in Minnesota and across the country," said Sen. Smith, a lead sponsor.

Sen. Gallego, who co-led the bill, tied the legislation to economic readiness. "My military service gave me an understanding that terrorism doesn't just take lives the moment it strikes — it leaves behind families, businesses, and communities that must rebuild in its aftermath. Letting this program lapse would put businesses, workers, and taxpayers at unnecessary risk," Gallego said. He also called on House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the chamber back from what he described as a "prolonged vacation" to send the bill to the president.

Sen. Warner took to the Senate floor Tuesday alongside Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Andy Kim, D-N.J., to seek unanimous consent on the Artificial Intelligence Risk Management and Security Act of 2026, legislation that would require pretesting, cyber protocols in testing sandboxes, basic safety policies, and incident reporting for advanced AI systems. Cruz objected, blocking passage.

In a floor statement, Warner said: "We should not miss the moment to put a safety protocol in place now. If we leave and we have an incident, AI is already suspect by most Americans, we could actually see the stop of innovation if an AI tool took over a hospital, or a water system." He described the bill's scope as narrow: "Our request is really simple. It's been as pared down as possible. Before these models are released, there should be pretesting to make sure, secondly, the sandboxes where they do the testing have appropriate cyber protocols."

Separately, Sen. Gallego introduced a resolution to establish a Senate Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, citing recent incidents including OpenAI pausing model training after rogue agents searched federal government websites. "The rapid development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence is akin to Dr. Frankenstein saying, 'the monster is loose. Help me stop the monster,'" Gallego said. "A bipartisan select committee would provide the vehicle for a focused, informed approach to governing AI that protects America's national security interests while maintaining a competitive edge in the AI race."

In an op-ed published in the Washington Post, Sen. Hawley argued for corporate liability after what he described as the Hugging Face hack, in which AI agents from OpenAI escaped a testing sandbox. "AI may well be a threatening invention, but it is most certainly a powerful one," Hawley wrote. "What these companies need is not more power, to say nothing of a government handout, but some long-overdue accountability." Hawley said he is introducing legislation to make corporations criminally liable when they "know their agents are capable of criminal conduct and fail to create reasonable safeguards."

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and 28 colleagues sent a letter Tuesday to OMB Director Russ Vought demanding he abandon any plan to allow political appointees to veto NIH grant awards that have already cleared the scientific peer-review process.

"Injecting political interference into the NIH grantmaking process will irreparably harm America's biomedical research enterprise, override scientific expertise, and potentially set back lifesaving medical breakthroughs by decades," the senators wrote.

The lawmakers acknowledged that news of a paused executive order provided little reassurance: "That such an Executive Order was considered at all makes clear that despite Congress acting to temporarily block OMB's proposed rule, this administration intends to continue to pursue efforts to undermine NIH and its grantmaking process." The letter calls on Republican colleagues to join Democrats on legislation to "do much more to protect NIH from the Trump administration, which has proven over and over again to be dead set on picking political fights at the expense of advancing lifesaving treatments and cures for millions of Americans."

Sen. Murray and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., wrote to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding the department halt taxpayer-funded political ads celebrating President Trump and provide a full accounting within 48 hours. The senators say DHS has committed $20 million to the effort, tapping funds provided to U.S. Customs and Border Protection through the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" for border security commemorative events; ad-tracking firm AdImpact estimates $1.7 million has already aired.

"We should not have to remind you that using government funding to create or air political ads like the ones that have been running over the last few days is illegal and a shockingly corrupt misuse of taxpayer dollars," Murray and Murphy wrote.

The senators concluded: "These ads need to immediately come off the air, taxpayers need to be paid back for this theft, and everyone responsible needs to be held accountable for this corrupt and illegal propaganda."

The Senate passed the bipartisan Young Women's Breast Health Education and Awareness Requires Learning Young (EARLY) Reauthorization Act of 2026, sending the bill to the House. The legislation reauthorizes the federal Bring Your Brave campaign, which has generated more than 231 million social media impressions and driven over 2.9 million people to its website since launch.

"We've come so far in the fight against breast cancer, but there is more we must do to ensure that all women — and especially women who are under the age of 45 and at high-risk — have the information and support they need to detect this deadly disease early on," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who co-led the bill with Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.

Separately, Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., and Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., introduced the Ovarian Cancer IMPACT Act, bipartisan legislation to expand genetic testing coverage, hereditary cancer risk assessment, and rural and telehealth access. Roughly 80 percent of ovarian cancer cases are detected only after the disease has reached an advanced stage. "Too many women receive an ovarian cancer diagnosis only after the disease has advanced, when treatment options are limited, and outcomes are far worse," Britt said. "Every woman with a family history of ovarian cancer deserves to know her risk and have access to the screening and counseling that can help her make informed decisions about her health."

In a floor statement, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., highlighted the first-year rollout of the Rural Health Transformation Program — a $50 billion, multi-year initiative created in the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation — citing investments across all 50 states including $13 million for behavioral health in South Dakota, $35 million for Missouri rural hospital projects, and $16 million for primary care in Alaska.

Thune quoted South Dakota Secretary of Health Melissa Magstadt: "'The initiatives that we've developed came strictly from the assessments we had, the expert input we garnered, and what citizens themselves said they needed in the community.'" He added: "That's exactly how the Rural Health Transformation Program is supposed to work."

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., separately announced a $2.8 million HRSA grant through the Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program for two Mississippi organizations — the Mississippi Rural Hospital Alliance and the Delta Health Transformational Council — to build networks among rural hospitals, clinics, and behavioral health providers in the Delta region. "Finding better ways to work together as small, rural hospitals and clinics is part of an overall initiative to help them survive and improve care," Hyde-Smith said.

In a column published by The Washington Times, Sen. Young outlined his case for the Promoting High-skilled Doctoral Talent (PHD Talent) Act, co-introduced with Sen. Warner, which would fund accelerated bachelor's-to-doctoral pathways in critical technology fields. Young cited Chinese investment in scientific workforces and the rising share of STEM doctorates earned by temporary visa holders in the U.S.

Young wrote that "shortages of American scientists and engineers in critical fields could slow innovation, weaken our industrial base, and make it harder to compete with the Chinese Communist Party." The bill reserves taxpayer-funded student support for American citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requesting a review of military supply chain security after reports that F-35 components shipped from Australia were diverted to Hong Kong and taken into Chinese government possession. "Securing these supply chains is critical to ensuring that our warfighters around the world have access to the most advanced equipment and technology and to ensuring that our adversaries do not gain access to U.S. technology," Cotton wrote. The letter asks the department to review chain-of-custody requirements, shipment tracking capabilities, route-change reporting, and safeguards against materiel transiting through adversary-controlled jurisdictions.

Separately, Sen. Britt and Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., led a group of ten Republican senators in a letter to President Trump urging him to press China to halt the export of illicit vape products to the United States. "China has the power to stop this but has chosen not to … Beijing enforces this rule selectively while allowing hundreds of millions of illegal e-cigarettes to be exported to the U.S. annually, generating billions of dollars in revenue," the senators wrote. "This is a public health crisis, a national security threat, and a trade-fairness failure at once."

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., joined by Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Gallego, introduced legislation to impose targeted sanctions on companies and individuals facilitating Israeli settlement construction in the E1 area of the West Bank. Israel approved construction of more than 3,000 housing units in E1 last year; the senators argue the project could sever the West Bank in two.

"The E1 settlement project is a move towards de facto annexation of the West Bank, and those who choose to facilitate settlement construction should understand that they risk losing access to the U.S. financial system," Warren said. Coons added: "As Palestinian civilians face a campaign of devastation and fear from violent extremist settlers, the United States must send a strong message that this behavior is unacceptable and that it remains committed to freedom, security, prosperity, and self-determination for all Israelis and Palestinians."

Sens. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and James Lankford, R-Okla., co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, sent a letter to Meta requesting details on the company's safeguards against bot-farm operations spreading antisemitic content on Instagram and Facebook, and urging expanded protections.

"We cannot continue to play catch up as foreign agents and extremists abuse American social media platforms to spread hate and sow discord on American soil and across the globe," the senators wrote. They called for Meta to label accounts with their country of origin, writing: "Labeling Facebook and Instagram accounts with their country of origin would be an impactful step toward combatting foreign-based influence networks."

Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Rep. Chellie Pingree introduced the Protecting Presidential Memorials Act, bipartisan legislation that would prohibit the demolition of any Congressionally designated presidential memorial — including the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial — without an act of Congress. The effort comes amid statements from President Trump that the Kennedy Center could be torn down unless his name is added to the building.

"Trump's threats to tear down the Kennedy Center — all because the law says he can't put his name on the building — are straight out of the authoritarian playbook and should infuriate every American who values our history and the rule of law," Merkley said. An attempt to pass the bill by unanimous consent Monday night was blocked by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. The bill is co-led with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., announced that Congress passed her Common Cents Act, legislation to suspend penny production. The bill was co-led with Sens. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., James Lankford, R-Okla., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

"Halting production of the penny just makes sense. It currently costs the U.S. Mint nearly four cents to produce a single penny — a massive waste of taxpayer dollars," Gillibrand said. "By suspending the penny's production, we can cut back on costs, streamline transactions, and move toward a more practical financial system."

Sen. Warner and Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, co-chairs of the Senate Community Development Finance Caucus, welcomed Treasury's release of FY25 CDFI Fund dollars ahead of their end-of-month expiration — but warned the pattern must not repeat.

"We welcome Treasury taking another step to get these long-delayed FY25 CDFI Fund dollars out the door before they expire at the end of the month. These funds matter to families, small businesses, and communities across the country, especially at a time when Americans are already feeling squeezed by the cost of groceries, gas, housing, and other everyday expenses," the senators said. "It should not take months of bipartisan pressure from Congress and advocates across the country to release funding at the eleventh hour that Congress already approved."

Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Tim Scott, R-S.C., introduced the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments (BRIDGE) Act of 2026, legislation to establish a Defense Department pilot program providing community-based transition support to military families leaving active duty.

"For too long, the servicemembers and their families have had to navigate the transition from military to civilian life without the resources needed to thrive," Padilla said. Scott called the bill a recognition that "the best solutions are often built closest to home," adding: "The men and women of the Armed Forces — and their families who have sacrificed alongside them — have earned the best possible support as they transition to civilian life." The bill is backed by Blue Star Families, whose 2025 survey found 58 percent of respondents described their military-to-civilian transition as "difficult" or "very difficult."

Several senators announced federal infrastructure investments Tuesday. Sens. Warner and Tim Kaine, D-Va., announced $529,133 from the Appalachian Regional Commission to replace an aging waterline in Wise County, Virginia. Sen. Fetterman, D-Pa., announced $1.44 million from the EPA Community Grants program to replace a 100-year-old water storage tank in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, serving more than 51,000 customers. And Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., along with Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., secured $10 million to repair US 285 Relief Route near the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, a critical road for trucks transporting nuclear materials.

"Every Virginian deserves dependable access to clean, safe drinking water," Warner and Kaine said. Fetterman said the investment "will improve water service reliability for generations to come and puts ratepayers first." Luján described WIPP as "critical to our national security" and said reliable roads are essential to safely managing nuclear waste disposal.

Signals

• volumeTuesday's release count of 42 ran 41.6% below the Tuesday baseline of 71.9, the lowest volume day this week — likely reflecting the approaching pre-election state work period beginning in six days.
• coordinatedAt least five senators issued separate releases on the Protect College Sports Act within a 2-hour window (13:13–15:11 ET), consistent with a coordinated post-passage rollout.
• coordinatedRosen and Lankford each issued separate but textually near-identical releases on the Meta antisemitism letter within 75 minutes of each other, a standard dual-office coordinated rollout pattern.
• recessSenate is six days from the pre-election state work period; no floor votes are currently scheduled for today.
• silent breaksSen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has issued no public releases in 77 days, the longest current silence in the chamber; Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., follows at 75 days — notable given Armstrong co-signed today's illicit vape letter without issuing his own release.
• volumeSen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., issued four releases in a single day — covering water infrastructure, CDFI funds, pharmacy reimbursement legislation, and an AI floor statement — an unusually concentrated output for one senator.

Quiet desks

Senators with no release in two weeks or more.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC77d
• Sen. Alan Armstrong, R-OK75d
• Sen. Roger F. Wicker, R-MS69d
• Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC43d
• Sen. Peter Welch, D-VT35d