US Senate

Sen Roger Marshall (R-KS) reintroduced the bipartisan ReConnecting Rural America Act alongside Senator Peter Welch (D-VT). This legislation will strengthen the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program.

Sens Josh Hawley (R-MO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Katie Britt (R-AK), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) held a press conference introducing bipartisan legislation to protect children from AI chatbots, the GUARD Act. This legislation would:

• Ban AI companies from providing AI companions to minors. 
• Mandate that AI companions disclose their non-human status and lack of professional credentials for all users 
• Create new crimes for companies which knowingly make available to minors AI companions that solicit or produce sexual content.

In a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, a group of Democratic U.S. Senators urged the Commission not to "gut" the FCC's 2024 final rule implementing the bipartisan Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022. "As a Commissioner, you voted for the FCC’s 2024 final rule that was adopted on a bipartisan basis, 5-0," says the letter. "Consistent with Congressional intent, the 2024 final rule cut prison phone rates bymore than half and banned junk fees charged by providers.

The US Senate advanced its version of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

On September 25, 2025, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr wrote to Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) regarding the decision by local TV stations to preempt Disney’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Disney’s decision to suspend temporarily production of that program. Chairman Carr said, "the claim by some that the FCC threatened to revoke broadcast licenses if Disney did not fire Jimmy Kimmel is simply incorrect.

In addition to rolling back unnecessary restrictions, the Trump administration has changed the way Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funds will be spent. Because of this, many states’ proposals will come in under budget. These states could actually end up with leftover funds from the 2021 broadband legislation. In that law, Congress was clear: States can use this remaining grant money. That policy rewards those who wisely stewarded their deployment funds. It could also help states maximize the impact of the 2021 law—if we direct the funds wisely.

Sen Mark Kelly (D-AZ) released AI for America, a new roadmap to make AI work for all Americans by making big AI companies part of the solution. At the center of the plan is the AI Horizon Fund, a federal fund fueled by contributions from leading AI companies that would provide the resources needed to reinvest in workers, infrastructure, and responsible deployment.

The Universal Service Fund Working Group—a bipartisan, bicameral group of Members of Congress—is seeking input from stakeholders across the country to explore the current state of the USF. The Working Group aims to provide a bipartisan forum to guide reforms to the USF, ensuring that connectivity reaches Americans in every community across the nation. The USF Working Group is seeking comments on a variety of questions relating to the effectiveness of USF programs and potential reforms. Stakeholders can file answers to these questions along with any additional comments through the USF Workin