IN THE STATES: Senate Democrats Highlight How They’re Fighting For Working Families During State Work Period

During the recent state work period, voters in key Senate battlegrounds were reading and watching a wave of coverage highlighting how Senate Democrats are fighting to address working families’ most pressing priorities – like lowering health care costs, rebuilding their state’s infrastructure, and expanding access to broadband internet.

See for yourself: 

MT – Missoulian: Federal money going to Missoula infrastructure projects

• U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who was the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to support the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, said more than $7.7 million of the funding will go to Montana towns with fewer than 5,000 people.
  
  
• “Too many folks in Washington D.C. don’t understand the challenges rural Americans face and the critical role our roads and bridges play in keeping communities connected,” Tester said in a statement. “That’s why I worked with Republicans and Democrats to pass my bipartisan infrastructure law, so we can invest in Montana’s roads, bridges, high-speed internet, water systems, and more to help grow our economy and strengthen our rural communities. This funding will help small towns from Sunburst to Whitehall stay connected, and I’m proud to see these federal dollars going to projects that will serve the Treasure State.”

MT – KTVH: Montana senators call for permanent pay increase for federal wildland firefighters

• Montana’s two U.S. senators are both backing an effort to avoid a “pay cliff” for these firefighters. The temporary increases boosted firefighters’ base pay by up to $20,000 or 50% of their previous base salary. However, the money to support those increases is set to run out.
  
  
• “I hope fire season is over with by the end of September, but chances are it won’t be – and we need these folks,” said Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. “We need them out there fighting fires.”

MT – KRTV: Tester advocates for creation of Montana Tech Hub

• U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) is urging the U.S. Department of Commerce to “strongly consider [the the Montana-based “Headwaters Tech Hub” consortium’s]  application.”
  
  
• A regional tech hub in Montana would allow those in the public and private sectors to gather in a centralized location with financial and academic institutions to participate in tech innovations.

NV – Las Vegas Review-Journal: LV-LA high-speed rail system gets more support from Rosen

• Sen. Jacky Rosen is the latest Nevada politician to urge federal transportation leaders to earmark nearly $4 billion in grants for the Las Vegas-to-Los Angeles high-speed rail project.
  
  
• Rosen, D-Nev., sent a letter Thursday reiterating her “strong support” for the $12 billion project to the U.S. Department of Transportation…. Rosen requested the department fund the full $3.75 billion request in their joint application.

NV – The Nevada Independent: Nevada lawmakers greenlight $360 million in federal funding for broadband build-out

• Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led a push to expand Nevada’s share of … funding by urging federal regulators to update the national broadband map to more accurately reflect unserved locations throughout the state.
  
  
• That funding came from provisions that originated in Rosen’s Middle Mile Broadband Deployment Act, which was included in the final version of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

NV – KOLO: $1.5 million for high speed internet awarded to Nevada tribes

• “Internet connectivity is essential for Nevadans’ daily lives,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m glad to see funding I secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help expand access to high-speed internet for tribes across Nevada. I’ll keep fighting to ensure communities in our state have the resources necessary to bring all Nevadans online.”

NV – KSNV + LVSportsBiz: On Las Vegas Sports Tourism: U.S. Senator Rosen Stages Tourism Field Hearing Friday To Hear From Las Vegas Big Hitters 

• Rosen is actually a United States Senator representing Nevada and she’s firmly entrenched on the Las Vegas sports tourism bandwagon, staging a tourism subcommittee hearing Friday on the economic impacts of sports and entertainment in Las Vegas.
  

OH – WFMJ: Sherrod Brown visits UAW workers in Warren to discuss labor concerns

• Brown spoke with about a dozen workers who expressed safety concerns including questions of what protective equipment to use with the chemicals they’re using and poor communication between employees and supervisors.
  
  
• The workers also mentioned their issues with their wages. Raises to employees’ wages kicked in on Monday so workers are now earning, depending on position, between $18 to $34 per hour. Part-time employees start at $17 per hour. However, Senator Brown says that raise is not enough.
  
  
• Brown says he wants to see these wages compared to those of the average national auto worker, which is around $30.

OH – WKEF: Sen. Brown: ‘Massive investment’ in Wright-Patterson included in defense spending bill

• Sen. Sherrod Brown talked to Dayton media on Tuesday about the “massive investment” in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which the Senate has approved in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. The bill also would impose new sanctions on chemical suppliers from China and Mexico, intended to stop illicit fentanyl from coming into the United States.
  
  
• “It will mean we target, not just scaling up treatment for fentanyl, not just giving police more equipment so they can do it safely — underline safely because it’s a dangerous drug even to touch — but we also now with the Fend Off Fentanyl Bill, will focus on the precursor chemicals in China that are then sold to Mexican drug lords, criminal syndicates that manufacture this stuff that ends up in the United States killing to many, not just young people, but too many people,” Brown said.

OH – WKYC: Bipartisan bill cosponsored by Ohio US Sen. Sherrod Brown seeks to sanction fentanyl suppliers

• Bipartisan legislation introduced by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) is targeting the suppliers of fentanyl to the United States.
  
  
• The bill would … sanction international criminal organizations and drug cartel leaders who are participating in Fentanyl trafficking … and declare international fentanyl trafficking a national emergency.
  

OH – WKYC: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown announces $2.8 million for 7 Ohio organizations to support and protect survivors of domestic and sexual violence

• The Cleveland Rape Crisis Center is among seven organizations throughout Ohio receiving a portion of $2,861,000, which was announced Monday by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
  
  
• “The investments will provide legal assistance and crisis response programs for survivors of domestic violence, assist law enforcement with anti-human trafficking operations, support staffing at safe havens for domestic violence survivors and help connect individuals in need with addiction treatment support.” 

OH – Journal-News: Butler County veterans may still file PACT Act claims

• Brown has been traveling to all 88 counties discussing the PACT Act and was here in the spring. “This law is the most comprehensive expansion of benefits for veterans who faced toxic exposure in our country’s history,” Brown said. “We’re working to get the word out to veterans across Ohio. If you were exposed to toxins while serving our country, you deserve the benefits you earned. Period. No exceptions.”

PA – Meadville Tribune: Casey applauds release of first 10 prescription drugs for price negotiations

• Sen. Bob Casey lauded Tuesday’s announcement of the first 10 prescription drugs selected for Medicare price negotiations.
  
  
• “It’s significant that we’re seeing the fruits of legislation passed just a year ago,” Casey said of last year’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill allows Medicare to directly negotiate the price of prescription drugs for the first time.
  
  
• “It’s a longer term commitment to lower prescription drug costs — giving Medicare the authority to negotiate for lower prices,” said Casey..

PA – WNEP: Lawmakers confirm funds to replace Pittston bridges

• The Firefighters Memorial Bridge, also known as the Water Street Bridge, has been closed since it failed an inspection in 2021. The closure has frustrated many residents, but now $19 million in federal money opens a new path for replacing both bridges that connect Pittston and West Pittston in Luzerne County.
  
  
• “It’s also an investment in so much more than a bridge,” said Sen. Casey. “It’s about jobs—job creation when the bridge is being constructed, and job preservation and job creation over time.” 

PA – ButlerRadio.com: New Sen. Casey Bill Aims To Help Vets With Disabilities

• Senator Bob Casey and Rick Scott have introduced a bill to ensure veterans with disabilities are able to access their VA Benefits. The Veterans Accessibility Act would establish a 15 person committee of veterans with disabilities, disability experts, and representatives of advocacy organizations. Who would evaluate and report on how the VA complies with federal guidelines.
  
  
• It would also evaluate to ensure facilities are accessible for veterans with disabilities and look into potential technologies to help provide access.

PA – WFMZ: Sen. Casey visits Lower Macungie, touts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

• Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey was in Lehigh County Wednesday to tout a new law that requires employers to treat pregnant workers fairly. The legislation requires employers to give women things like more bathroom breaks and stools to sit on, so they don’t have to stand for long periods of time. Casey said workers shouldn’t have to make the choice between their job and a healthy pregnancy.

PA – WTAJ: Senator Casey announces eligible locations for energy bonus tax credit

• U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released a new map detailing the Pennsylvania communities that qualify as “energy communities” as part of his Inflation Reduction Act.
  
  
• The Inflation Reduction Act provides a bonus tax credit worth 10 percent of the cost of any clean energy project placed in an energy community, defined as brownfield site. A brownfield site is an area that has been abandoned due to industrial pollution.
  
  
• Casey’s tax credits are meant to incentivize companies to build and manufacture new energy projects in the communities that have powered the United States for generations.
  

WV – The Inter-Mountain: Manchin announces $3.2M for healthcare

• Senator Joe Manchin …announced $3,262,663 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to strengthen healthcare services throughout West Virginia.
  
  
• The funding will specifically support bolstering statewide efforts to respond to and prevent infectious disease outbreaks and expanding access to substance use disorder treatment services.
  
  
• “I’m pleased HHS is investing more than $3.2 million to help improve the health and well-being of West Virginians across our great state,” said Manchin.

WV – Bluefield Daily Telegraph: Manchin seeks cyber operations to target drug cartels at the border

• West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin has joined South Dakota Republican Mike Rounds in calling for increased cyber operations at the southern border to combat drug smuggling and human trafficking.
  
  
• Manchin… and Rounds…have introduced the bipartisan Countering Mexican Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) in Cyberspace Act of 2023. … to strengthen security at the southern border and prevent illegal drugs from crossing into the country.

WV – WBOY: Manchin announces millions in funding to fire safety initiatives across West Virginia

• On Wednesday, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) made an announcement that millions of dollars from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would be provided to local organizations in an effort to strengthen fire safety across West Virginia.
  
  
• Senator Manchin commented that “our brave West Virginia firefighters risk their lives every day to protect our communities, and we must ensure they have the necessary equipment and resources to do their jobs safely and effectively.” He also said that he is pleased that FEMA is investing more than 2.3 million dollars to “strengthen fire safety and bolster emergency preparedness throughout our great state.”
  
  
• “As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue advocating for resources to support our firefighters as they work tirelessly to protect West Virginians across the Mountain State,” Manchin added.
  

WV – WOAY: Manchin breaks ground on Raleigh County Memorial Airport Industrial Park expansion

• Regional airports are the lifeblood of a community, and that has special meaning for Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) a pilot himself.
  
  
• He calls the expansion of the Raleigh County Memorial Airport, that kicked off today’s Beckley groundbreaking — transformative for Southern West Virginia.
  
  
• The $4.5 million he secured in federal investments for the project will develop 105 acres of site-ready property.
  
  
• “Now to be able to have a beautiful park — and on top of that have all the amenities of any industrial area, any big thriving metropolis,” the senator said. “This is what I think’s great and unique about this project.
  

WI – WKBT: Tammy Baldwin touts lower prescription drug benefits while touring Gundersen Pharmacy

• Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin is in Onalaska touting federal law that lowers prescription drug costs for seniors. “That’s why I was proud to support the Inflation Reduction Act. To finally provide some relief for Wisconsinites and hold big drug companies accountable for prioritizing their profitability over the people they serve.” Senator Baldwin said.
  
  
• The law gives Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 per month for seniors, and requires all vaccines covered under Medicare Part D to be completely free.

WI – Fox 11 News: Senator Tammy Baldwin leads roundtable on opioid crisis at Appleton café

• Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin was joined by local partners at ACOCOA Coffee and Café where she led discussions on the fentanyl, tranq, and opioid epidemic. 
  

• Items on the agenda included prevention and harm reduction within the Appleton community. “Today it was a really helpful discussion about how this reason and this community is standing up to try to reduce the harm. Whether that’s through prevention activities or making sure that overdose reversal medications are readily available and that the community is knowledgeable about these resources and able to step forward. So what a remarkable discussion,” Baldwin said.

WI – Fox 11 News: Senator Baldwin throws support behind ‘Buy America’ legislation in Green Bay

• Sen. Tammy Baldwin stopped by Fox Valley Metal Tech in Green Bay to highlight her support of Wisconsin’s manufacturing industry. It’s part of the Buy America legislation which requires that all iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials used in federally funded projects for infrastructure must be produced in the United States.
  
  
• “We’re using tax dollars for our national security, those tax payer dollars will be supporting U.S. workers, U.S. manufacturing and U.S. small businesses and that is what I am seeing here,” Baldwin said. Recently, Sen. Baldwin included an amendment in the National Defense Authorization Act to strengthen Buy America requirements for Navy shipbuilding.
  

WI – WDJT: Sen. Baldwin tours lead pipe replacement project in Milwaukee

• Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin stopped in Milwaukee Wednesday, … where crews are replacing old lead water pipes. Baldwin says there are still about 66,000 lead pipes still in use in Milwaukee, but thanks to investments from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the project is about to move more quickly.
  
  
• “I am so proud to see all hands on deck to really scale up the efforts here,” said Sen. Baldwin. “By 2025, we should be doubling, and that’s the expectation, that we will double the removal. We gotta do it as fast as we possibly can.”

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