Press Releases
Hawley Secures Historic RECA Expansion in Base Text of ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced today that the largest expansion to date of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act has been included in the text of the “Big, Beautiful Bill.” This historic provision is a victory for nuclear radiation survivors in Missouri and across America—and a major win for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. "The federal government dumped nuclear waste in the backyards of Missourians for decades—and then lied about it. These survivors sacrificed their health for our national security at the advent of the Manhattan Project, and their children and grandchildren have borne the burden of radioactive-linked illness for generations since. Reviving RECA means acknowledging the debts we owe these good Americans...
Hawley Introduces Trump-Backed Legislation to Increase Penalties for Criminal Flag Burners
Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Enhanced Penalties for Criminal Flag Burners Act, which would enact sentencing enhancements for individuals who burn the American flag in the course of committing a federal offense. Just this week, President Trump called on Congress to support Senator Hawley’s bill and send it to his desk. Senator Hawley is currently circulating the bill and inviting other Senators to join. Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) are co-sponsoring the legislation. “Committing a crime is not protected under the First Amendment. If you are putting people and property in danger and burning our flag in the process, you should serve extra time in prison,” said Senator Hawley. “I encourage all of my Republican colleagues to join President...
Senate Committee Unanimously Advances Hawley, Durbin Bill Stopping Child Sex Abuse Materials
Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) advanced their STOP CSAM Act unanimously through a Senate Judiciary Committee markup. The legislation would crack down on the proliferation of online child sexual abuse material (CSAM) by allowing victims to sue companies that host it. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.,), Cindy Hyde-Smith (Miss.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) have cosponsored the bill."Almost two years ago, Mark Zuckerberg apologized to the victims of sexual exploitation on his platforms during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. But apologies aren't enough; it's time to hold Big Tech accountable. Protecting kids online means giving parents the right...
Hawley Holds 23andMe CEO’s Feet to the Fire for Hoarding Consumers’ Personal Information Ahead of Bankruptcy Sale
In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) criticized Joseph Selsavage—the Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial and Accounting Officer of ancestry service 23andMe—for his company's lack of transparency in retaining consumers' information ahead of its imminent bankruptcy sale. "I hope [consumers] will rush to the court house, even as we are here today, to sue you into oblivion," Senator Hawley said to Selsavage, who failed to provide an adequate explanation for 23andMe’s byzantine privacy policy. The CEO ultimately admitted that 23andMe does, in fact, retain customers' personal information—even after consumers opt to delete it. https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1932836831114166660 "What you're doing here has all kinds of...
Hawley Launches Investigation into Organizations Bankrolling LA Riots
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, sent letters to multiple organizations launching an investigation into the funding behind the Los Angeles riots and requesting the preservation of key information. The letter also condemns the demonstrations' "lawless mob actions" and calls for their end. "Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions," Senator Hawley wrote. "Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct." He sent letters to Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and...
Hawley, Welch Introduce Legislation to Increase Federal Minimum Wage to $15 Per Hour
Today, U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) introduced the Higher Wages for American Workers Act, which would increase the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and allow the federal minimum wage to increase with inflation in subsequent years. When adjusted for inflation, the current federal minimum wage is lower than at any point since the 1940s. Meanwhile, the cost of housing, healthcare, and education has skyrocketed, leaving millions of full-time workers struggling to make ends meet.“For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline. One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hardworking Americans every day. This bipartisan...
‘Much Needed’: Hawley Applauds Trump’s Approval of Disaster Aid For Missouri Storm Victims
This evening, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) announced federal disaster aid for Eastern Missouri's devastating May storms, thanking U.S. President Donald Trump for swiftly green-lighting the funds. https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1932218424366899500 Senator Hawley has been a leading advocate for disaster aid following last month's storms and tornadoes that claimed the lives of seven Missourians. The Senator surveyed the storm damage firsthand throughout St. Louis and met with residents, first responders, and other community leaders.Upon returning to Washington, Senator Hawley urged the Trump Administration to issue federal disaster aid and even secured a pledge from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem—who oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—to expedite relief. ...
Hawley Chairs Missouri District Judge Nominations Hearing
Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) chaired the Judiciary Committee nominations hearing featuring the four Missourians President Trump has tapped to serve as district judges for Missouri--his first tranche of judicial nominees. The nominees are: Maria A. Lanahan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri Cristian M. Stevens, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri Joshua M. Divine, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri Zachary M. Bluestone, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri These individuals would fill judicial positions that have been vacant throughout the Biden Administration. Since the beginning of the year, Senator...
Hawley Takes Liberal Professor to Task for Flip-Flopping on Injunctions Stance
In a joint Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) took Kate Shaw, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, to task over her double standard for nationwide injunctions issued against the Trump Administration versus those against the Biden Administration. Senator Hawley repeatedly called out Shaw for lacking a "principle" to guide her legal opinion regarding when nationwide injunctions constitute the appropriate remedy for a legal dispute. https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1930000032000029092 The hearing was jointly hosted by the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and the Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights. Earlier this year, Senator Hawley introduced...
Hawley Demands Answers about Neighborhood Radioactive Contamination: ‘The Community Deserves Full Transparency’
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Lieutenant General William H. Graham, Jr. of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regarding reports that the USACE plans to buy out residential homes in the St. Louis region due to radioactive contamination. The Senator stated that city officials were recently made aware of proposed buyouts of six properties in the Cades Cove subdivision near Coldwater Creek. These properties were previously publicly identified by USACE as the subject of detailed sampling. "[T]he community deserves full transparency about your plans for further testing, remediation, buyouts, and any health risks to residents," the Senator said. The Senator called out USACE for previously downplaying concerns about contamination and assuring residents...