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Senators Banks, Hickenlooper Introduce Bill to Streamline Medical Facilities for Veterans
WASHINGTON, D.C, – Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Co.) introduced the VA Design-Build Construction Enhancement Act. This bipartisan legislation directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to use the design-build method where a single contractor handles both design and construction for major medical facility projects. This approach streamlines the building process, reduces delays, and ensures veterans get access to modern, high-quality care faster. The bill also ensures VA includes design-build training in its construction management programs and allows agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers to use the method without interference. Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “The number one obstacle standing between veterans and the care they’ve earned is bureaucracy. This
Banks, Warren Press NVIDIA on National Security Risks of Shanghai R&D Facility
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a bipartisan letter to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang raising serious national security concerns about the company’s reported plans to open a research and development facility in Shanghai. The letter warns that NVIDIA’s move could aid China’s military-civil fusion strategy, expose sensitive U.S. chip designs to theft or coercion, and directly undercut American technological leadership in artificial intelligence. The senators demanded answers from NVIDIA by June 20 and urged the company to halt activities that could empower the Chinese Communist Party at the expense of U.S. national and economic security. Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “No
Senator Banks Praises USDA Appointments in Indiana
COLUMBIA CITY, IN. – Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) released the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced presidential appointments for Indiana leadership at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Steve Howell as State Director for Indiana Rural Development and Steve Brown as State Executive Director of the Indiana Farm Service Agency. Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “President Trump and Secretary Rollins are putting America’s farmers first. Steve Howell and Steve Brown will help our farmers get the support they need and ensure Indiana’s agriculture industry remains strong for a long time to come.” Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: “President Trump is putting Farmers First, and so is
Carmel faces high firetruck costs, delays. Elizabeth Warren and Jim Banks are partnering to help
Carmel is ringing alarm bells on a public safety issue that’s having a national impact. Now U.S. Sens. Jim Banks and Elizabeth Warren, an unlikely duo, are teaming up to look into the issue. Carmel’s fire truck troubles led Banks, an Indiana Republican, to find an unusual partner in Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts. The two penned a letter on April 15 to the nation’s largest firefighter’s union to ask about the impact of private equity in the rising costs and wait times for fire trucks. “The largest fire truck manufacturers are exploiting their market power to hike truck prices and restrict fire truck
Sen. Banks supports new $2 billion Roudebush VA Medical Center
U.S. Senator Jim Banks says plans are moving forward to replace the aging Roudebush VA Medical Center with a new $2 billion hospital. Banks, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, toured the facility Wednesday and confirmed the project is still on track, countering claims that the Department of Energy (DOGE) had pulled funding for a feasibility study. Banks said the current facility is outdated and undersized for the roughly 70,000 veterans and dependents it serves each year. He emphasized the importance of building a modern hospital to maintain high-quality care for Indiana veterans. Sen. Banks supports new $2 billion Roudebush VA Medical
Left-Wing Protesters Disrupt Confirmation Hearing for Education Secretary Nominee Linda McMahon
The confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump’s Education Secretary nominee Linda McMahon on Thursday was interrupted several times by raging protesters who screamed about transgenderism and other left-wing causes. “Just as a side note, I’m struck by the outbursts of some of the protesters in the room, and a number of them have told us that they are teachers,” Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) remarked. “Can you imagine these people teaching our kids in classrooms across America and they come here and act like children with outbursts in an attempt to prevent us from doing our job to move you forward to do the important