Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJanuary 16, 2026CONTACT:press_@booker.senate.gov Booker, Van Hollen, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Ensure Americans Aren’t Footing the Bill for Big Data Centers Legislation would require corporations—not the American people—to pay for data center expansion and take steps to protect grid reliability WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker joined U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and several Senate colleagues in introducing the Power for the People Act,... Read More

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) reintroduced legislation that would ensure prison disaster plans protect the health, safety, and rights of incarcerated individuals during emergencies. The Correctional Facility Disaster Preparedness Act would require the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to submit annual damage reports after disasters, require the National Institute of Correction (NIC) to hold field hearings on how to better incorporate considerations for... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Credit Card Fairness Act, legislation that would put into statute the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s popular $8 cap on credit card late fees. Consumers currently pay $14 billion per year in credit card late fees, which pads the profits of the biggest banks. The standard $30 to $41 late fee is up to five times higher than the cost for banks of collecting late... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following the fatal killing of Minneapolis resident, Renne Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) today announced the introduction of two accountability bills to strengthen federal law enforcement standards. The legislation would establish minimum hiring and training standards for all federal law enforcement officers and require the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by federal officers... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights, issued the following statement: “Donald Trump’s nomination of megadonor David MacNeil to the Federal Trade Commission’s recent vacancy is yet another blatant example of the administration’s corruption and pay-for-play politics. Instead of prioritizing consumer protection and fair competition practices that drive down costs... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement after Senate Republicans failed to hold President Trump accountable for violating the Constitution and failed to block this Administration from deploying U.S. troops to Venezuela illegally and without Congressional authorization: “For over a year, Senate Republicans have refused to do their jobs and hold this administration accountable for its foreign policy failures. Today, they voted to allow President... Read More

WASHINGTON D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined a group of 14 of his Senate colleagues, led by U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), in urging Senate Appropriations Committee leadership, including leaders of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, to protect funding for the Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail (IPR) grant program in fiscal year 2026 appropriations legislation. While the... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement: “The shooting of a woman in Minnesota today by ICE is a horrible tragedy. “As Mayor I've overseen a police department of over a thousand officers. From everything I've seen so far, this killing was avoidable and shouldn’t have happened. This is especially troubling because law enforcement officers are routinely trained in deescalation techniques and the use of... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On the fifth anniversary of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) released a new video this morning reflecting on the violence of that day and sharply criticizing President Donald Trump’s use of the presidential pardon power. Booker highlights the case of Brian Sicknick, a Capitol police officer from New Jersey, who was beaten while defending the Capitol and died days later. “It’s January 6, the fifth year anniversary of the horrific attack... Read More

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined a group of 29 Senators led by U.S. Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) in sending a letter to President Trump, Secretary Noem, and Attorney General Bondi demanding answers on the impact of the administration’s decision to pull thousands of federal law enforcement agents away from their work keeping dangerous criminals off the streets and reassign them to arrest, detain, and deport primarily non-violent immigrants. “You have pulled agents away... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement: Today, many leaders will rightly condemn President Donald Trump’s unlawful and unjust actions in Venezuela, and I join them. But just as glaring, and far more damning, is Congress’ ongoing abdication of its constitutional duty. For almost a year now, the legislative branch has failed to check a president who repeatedly violates his oath, disregards the... Read More

NEWARK, NJ — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement: “I’m deeply concerned about the reported death of a 41-year-old man who was being detained at Delaney Hall yesterday. “For months, I have condemned the inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall and the mismanagement of this facility by its private operator, GEO Group - and now this tragic death has compounded the long and grotesque list of atrocities the GEO Group is... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement in response to Donald Trump’s Executive Order on Cannabis rescheduling:   “After decades of ignoring the evidence, the federal government has finally come to terms with what a majority of states have long acknowledged cannabis has medical uses and a lower potential for abuse than drugs like methamphetamine and heroin. For too long, federal law has lagged behind medical... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent a letter to Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Andrew Ferguson questioning how the Commission is working to ensure grocery companies do not use this Administration’s reckless tariff policies as cover for price gouging and that the recently announced tariff exemptions on coffee, bananas, cocoa, and other tropical products actually result in lower grocery prices. “It was a... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced the Fair Competition for Small Business Act of 2025, legislation to protect small businesses from anti-competitive pricing practices that favor large retailers. U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, introduced... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Federal Firearm Licensing Act, legislation that would require individuals to obtain a federal firearm license before purchasing or receiving a firearm. Studies show that states that have enacted firearm licensing laws significantly reduced gun violence. The Giffords Law Center reported that Connecticut’s gun homicide and gun suicide rates... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Upper Raritan River Watershed Wild and Scenic River Study Act. This legislation would direct the National Park Service to conduct a feasibility study evaluating the Upper Raritan River and its key tributaries for potential inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. U.S. Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ-07) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12) introduced companion legislation in the House... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement: “I’m pleased that the final version of this year’s National Defense Authorization Act includes some improvements I’ve been fighting for, such as an amendment I filed to protect the integrity of Picatinny Arsenal, funding for critical military construction projects in New Jersey, a pay increase for service members, and additional funds for educational resources for children with disabilities in military... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) reintroduced the Marijuana in Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act to permit the use of marijuana in federally assisted housing, including public housing and Section 8 housing, in compliance with the marijuana laws of the state where the property is located. Under current federal law, users of illegal substances, including marijuana, are prohibited from being admitted into federally assisted... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill that would reshape EQIP to be more equitable and effective. Established in 1998, EQIP is a voluntary conservation initiative that offers farmers and ranchers federal cost-share grants to adopt environmentally beneficial practices on their land.... Read More