Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
U.S. Government: Agencies/Departments/Divisions | U.S. Senator
Recent News About Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
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Defense Credit Union Council to Sens. Butler, Padilla: Proposed credit card regs ‘will risk military financial readiness’
An association representing U.S. military credit unions sent a letter to California’s U.S. Senators in opposition to proposed credit card regulations pending in the U.S. Senate.
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CA Credit Union League: Proposed federal credit card regs ‘will ultimately cost consumers money’
A spokesperson for the California Credit Union League (CCUL) said her organization is opposed to proposed credit card regulations pending in the U.S. Senate because she said they will cost consumers money and could lead to an increase in credit card fraud.
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Padilla Announces $67 Million Federal Investment for Grid Resiliency in California
On July 6,2023, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla announced that California was awarded an initial $67 million in funding, the most of any state this year, through the Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants program.
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Padilla, Durbin Ask Sec. Becerra for Answers Regarding Reports That Warnings of Threats to the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Were Dismissed
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra requesting information related to reports that HHS received warnings that unaccompanied children were being released from HHS custody into situations that presented a risk of labor exploitation and trafficking.
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Padilla Introduces Bill to Bolster Atmospheric River Forecasting
On June 29, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced the Atmospheric Rivers Reconnaissance, Observation and Warning Act, legislation that would improve the accuracy and timeliness of West Coast Atmospheric River (AR) forecasts by directing the Air Force and NOAA to provide the necessary aircraft, personnel, and equipment to meet AR mission requirements during the winter season in the West Coast.
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Padilla Statement on Supreme Court Decision Blocking Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
On June 30,2023, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the Supreme Court struck down President Biden’s federal student loan forgiveness plan in Biden v. Nebraska — denying tens of millions of Americans life-changing relief from the weight of overwhelming student loan debt:
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Padilla Introduces Legislation to Facilitate Voluntary Agricultural Land Repurposing to Bolster Water Supply
On June 28, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, introduced the Voluntary Agricultural Land Repurposing Act, legislation that would build drought resiliency and reduce water use by providing federal funding to states and tribes that work to voluntarily repurpose certain agricultural lands.
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Padilla, Feinstein Announce Over $184 Million in Grants to Help California Transition to Clean Buses
On June 26, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) announced that California was awarded over $184 million in grants to support California transit agencies’ transition to zero- and low-emission buses through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Low or No Emission Grant Program (Low-No Program) and the FY 2023 Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Program. These programs—which received increased funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—help transit agencies purchase and lease new, cleaner vehicles as well as invest in required supporting facilities such as recharging, refueling, and maintenance facilities.
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Padilla, Murkowski, Merkley, Huffman Call for GAO to Study Inequitable Justice System Facing Tribal Nations in Different States
On June 26, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Vice Chair of the Committee on Indian Affairs, Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, and Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) sent a letter to the Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) requesting they examine tribal criminal justice outcomes in states that have civil and criminal jurisdiction over Tribal lands – Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, and Wisconsin – as compared to the rest of the country.
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Padilla, Feinstein Announce Over $1.8 Billion in Broadband Investments to Connect Californians
On June 26, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) announced that California was awarded over $1.8 billion in funding for broadband access in California through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, a key component of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
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Senator Padilla Delivers Floor Speech Ahead of Shelby v. Holder Anniversary Calling on Congress to Protect the Right to Vote
This week, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) spoke on the Senate floor ahead of the ten-year anniversary of Shelby v. Holder, the Supreme Court decision that struck down the preclearance formula for Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, eliminating protections against state-level voter suppression efforts.
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Padilla, Tillis Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Help Find Missing Persons on Federal Land
On June 22, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) introduced the TRACE Act, bipartisan legislation that would require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to include an additional category to the existing National Missing and Unidentified Persons Systems (NamUs) database so the public and law enforcement partners can better track people who go missing on federal land.
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Padilla Introduces Legislation to Protect U.S. Winegrape Growing Regions Against Wildfire Smoke Damage
On June 22, 2023 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced two pieces of legislation to better protect winegrape growers in California, Washington, and Oregon, the top three states for wine production in the U.S., against wildfire smoke damage.
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Padilla Leads Bipartisan Congressional Delegation in Urging President Biden to Award Rafer Johnson with Presidential Medal of Freedom
This week, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Representative Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24) led a bipartisan, bicameral delegation in sending a letter to President Biden recommending Rafer Lewis Johnson be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Padilla Introduces Bill to Improve Access to Mental Health Care for Military Children
On June 21, 2023 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) introduced legislation to ensure that children of military families, who are at a greater risk for mental and behavioral health problems than the general population, have access to mental health screenings and check-ups at Department of Defense Education Activity schools (DoDEA).
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Padilla, Sanders Introduce Bill to Make College Tuition- and Debt-Free for Working Families
On June 16, 2023 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-Chair of the Senate Hispanic-Serving Institutions Caucus, joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in reintroducing the College for All Act, legislation that would expand access to college for millions of working-class children. This legislation represents the most significant federal investment in higher education in the modern history of the United States.
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Padilla Applauds Supreme Court Ruling Upholding Indian Child Welfare Act
On June 15, 2023 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling to uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA):
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Padilla Statement on Abbott Busing Migrants to Los Angeles Union Station
On June 15, 2023 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued a statement following Texas Governor Abbott’s decision to send more than 40 migrants by bus to Los Angeles:
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Padilla Speaks on Confirmation of Three Federal Judges to California District Courts
On June 14, 2023 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on the Senate floor in support of the confirmation of three highly qualified nominees to serve on the federal bench in California.
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Padilla Calls for Corporate Accountability to End Migrant Child Labor Exploitation
On June 14, 2023 U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, joined a Judiciary Committee hearing titled “Ensuring the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children.”