Senate

Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) called on President Obama to acknowledge a congressional report that says the CIA mislead the public about its detention and interrogation programs.

“Only by acknowledging and correcting the false public record can the CIA — with your support — credibly institute the necessary reforms that are essential for the CIA to be its best,” Udall wrote in letter to Obama that was sent Wednesday.

A bipartisan group of 14 senators told the Obama administration that it should fight a recent decision by the European Commission (EC) to impose an anti-dumping duty on U.S. ethanol exports.

The senators, led by John Thune (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), wrote a letter to acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis and acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank on Tuesday urging them to challenge the EC’s decision at the World Trade Organization.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) demanded that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) stop Wall Street brokerage firms from forcing investors into "unfair" arbitration agreements.

Franken and 36 of his Democratic colleagues wrote a letter to SEC Chairwoman Mary Jo White, telling her that under the Dodd-Frank financial reform law, she has the authority to protect consumers. They suggested she stop forced arbitration contracts in customer service agreements.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) took a swipe at Congress this week by saying it will only succeed in reducing the budget deficit and paying down the federal debt by taking action, not just making speeches about it.

"We need more of us on both sides of the aisle to realize that after we make our speeches, we're not finished," Alexander told WATE in Tennessee. "We have to get a result if you want to fix the debt."

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) told the Department of Interior (DOI) on Tuesday that it should consider “canceling the sheep counting” studies instead of closing national parks to reduce spending.

“Department officials warned national parks around the country would suffer from reduced hours of operation, shorter seasons and the possible closures of campgrounds, hiking trails and other recreational areas,” Coburn wrote in a letter to the newly confirmed Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. “The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is also threatening to shut down hundreds of flood warning gauges across the country.”

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said the Gang of Eight’s immigration bill is “not living up” to the promise that no illegal immigrants will have access to public benefits such as Medicaid and food stamps.

“The Gang of Eight made a promise that illegal immigrants will not be able to access public benefits,” Sessions said Tuesday. “We already know that, once granted green cards and ultimately citizenship, illegal immigrants will be able to access all public benefit programs at a great cost to taxpayers.”

Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and James Inhofe (R-Okla.) demanded transparency from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on their relationships with environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club, so the public can see how these groups are shaping policy.

“The American people deserve to understand the process EPA follows when crafting the environmental policies under which they must live,” Inhofe and Vitter wrote Monday in a letter to acting EPA administrator Bob Perciasepe.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) renewed his call on Monday for Congress to require disclosure and accountability of the “political intelligence industry.”

“Turns out, some people on Wall Street have figured out a way to read Washington’s mind. Instead of paying a fortune teller, they are hiring so-called political intelligence brokers,” Grassley said. “This new crop of information specialists has figured out how to turn government information into a profit-making venture.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Monday that he would soon introduce a bill to stop the “EPA’s attack” on the coal industry.

McConnell said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is going beyond its “scope of authority” by making the permitting process for coal mines more burdensome.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) told her “friends in the environmental movement” that they couldn’t always agree with her “100 percent of the time.”

The Los Angeles Times on Sunday reported that Boxer is facing opposition from environmentalist — who are usually her allies — on her water resources bill, which the Senate will begin considering next week.