NC’s 1 million ACA enrollees set to see higher health care costs in 2026
Open enrollment starts Nov. 1. Higher premiums and expiring tax credits could combine for spikes in costs.
Federal Government
Budd Publishes Op-Ed in The Hill, Demanding American Sanctions on CCP Officials Responsible for Religious Persecution
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) published an op-ed in The Hill entitled, “China’s crackdown on religious freedom demands American sanctions,” arguing for strict American sanctions to hold Chinese Communist Party officials accountable for their repeated record of brutality toward religious minorities. Senator Budd’s op-ed follows the largest the reported crackdown on practicing Christians in China since 2018 that occurred earlier this month.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson Warns USDA Over Failure to Fund Food Assistance During Shutdown, Potentially Impacting Roughly 600,000 Children in North Carolina
RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson issued a formal warning to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) after the agency informed states that it may refuse to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the ongoing federal government shutdown. SNAP provides food assistance to low-income families, and any interruption would be devastating for North Carolina – 1.5 million people, including roughly 600,000 children, rely on it to eat.
Senate Passes Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Bill Including Budd-Secured Wins for North Carolina
Washington, D.C. — Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), voted to pass the Senate version of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last night. The bill includes numerous provisions to improve readiness and quality of life for our troops, increase funding for North Carolina military installations, protect the homeland, and strengthen alliances abroad.
Federal Government Shutdown: N.C. Division of Employment Security Ready to Help Impacted Workers
Raleigh, N.C. - The Division of Employment Security is ready to help federal government workers affected by the government shutdown.
Senators Budd, Cortez Masto Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Combat Foreign Cyberattacks Targeting American Agriculture
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) introduced the bipartisan Cybersecurity in Agriculture Act today to enhance the cyberattack readiness, response, and recovery of American agricultural infrastructure. The legislation would prioritize cybersecurity preparedness by establishing a network of five Regional Agriculture Cybersecurity Centers to strengthen national security measures and protect the United States' food supply.
Budd, Tillis Applaud Nomination of Four NC Judges
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) applauded President Trump for nominating Susan Rodriguez and Matthew Orso to serve in North Carolina’s Western District and David Bragdon and Lindsey Freeman to serve in North Carolina’s Middle District. All four nominees were recommended by Senators Budd and Tillis.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson and bipartisan attorneys general support veteran wounded in Afghanistan
RALEIGH – Attorney General Jeff Jackson and a bipartisan group of 20 attorneys general filed a brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in support of a veteran who was wounded in Afghanistan as a result of a private contractor’s negligence.
Budd Applauds $409.4 Million EPA Award to North Carolina to Rebuild, Improve Drinking Water Infrastructure
U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s recent allocation of $409.4 million to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) for public water systems. This funding will improve local drinking water utility infrastructure so systems across the state are better equipped to withstand natural disasters.
Budd Joins Britt, Colleagues in Effort to Ban Noncitizens from Voting in D.C. Elections
U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) joined Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) and 20 other Republican senators in introducing legislation that would ban noncitizens from voting in elections held in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Budd, Colleagues Urge DOL to Repeal Biden-Era Rules Harming Farmers, Ease Accessibility for Visas Used by Ag Producers
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), and Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.-5) recently led a bicameral, bipartisan coalition of 84 of their fellow federal lawmakers in sending a letter to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer urging the Department of Labor to roll back enforcement of Biden-era regulations that have dramatically increased costs for American farmers. Rules increasing the complexity of the H-2A visa program have increased deficits for farmers and created obstacles for producers seeking to enroll in the program.
Sen. Budd, Senate Colleagues Urge Secretary Lutnick to Probe DeepSeek AI’s Connections to Chinese Military, Intelligence Apparatus
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) recently led a group of Senate colleagues in urging Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to probe allegations made by U.S. officials that DeepSeek Artificial Intelligence has provided support to the People’s Republic of China’s military and intelligence operations. The letter requests that the Department of Commerce investigate these allegations and thoroughly review threats posed by other Chinese open-source models that may be feeding information back to servers with ties to the Chinese government.