Press Releases
Hawley Introduces Bill Requiring Big Tech Companies Give Children’s Data Back to Parents
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Parental Data Rights Act, new legislation that would require Big Tech companies to give parents control over their children’s data and hold accountable companies that fail to comply. Senator Hawley’s legislation follows news of a new online tool, Take it Down, that aims to give control to users to remove explicit images and videos of themselves as children from the internet. The tool is reportedly operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and funded in part by Meta. Senator Hawley's Parental Data Rights Act goes even further and requires tech companies to give parents control of the entirety of their children’s data. "Today’s social media landscape is an increasingly dangerous...
Hawley and Braun Reintroduce Bill Requiring Biden to Declassify Wuhan Lab Leak Intelligence
Today U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Mike Braun (R-Ind.) reintroduced the COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023, requiring the Biden administration to declassify intelligence related to any potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) and the origins of the Covid pandemic. The Department of Energy recently concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic most likely arose from a lab leak, according to a classified intelligence report provided to the White House and certain members of Congress. "For nearly three years, anyone asking whether COVID-19 originated as a lab leak outbreak was silenced and branded as a conspiracy theorist. Now these prudent skeptics stand vindicated. The Biden administration must immediately declassify all intelligence reports pertaining to the...
Hawley Calls for Hearings on Biden Admin’s Response to Train Derailments, Toxic Conditions
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.) requesting a hearing on federal disaster relief efforts to address the destructive train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio and other transportation-related incidents across the United States. Senator Hawley has also expressed serious concern over the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) decision to deny Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's request for federal disaster assistance. "The American people, not least the local residents of East Palestine and other affected communities, deserve to know how their federal government, including FEMA, is responding. If there are any gaps in our response efforts, it is the duty...
Senator Hawley Opens Whistleblower Tipline for Those with Knowledge of Abuses at Pediatric Transgender Centers
As part of his ongoing investigation, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley is asking whistleblowers with direct information about potential malpractice and abuses happening at pediatric transgender centers to contact his office. This includes patients, family members, or employees associated with these clinics who wish to come forward. If you or someone you know would like to confidentially contact Senator Hawley’s office about this matter, please call his Washington, D.C., office at 202-224-6154 or email your information to tips@hawley.senate.gov and a member of our team will assist you. --- On Feb. 9, 2023, Senator Hawley announced an investigation into the egregious abuses and potential malpractice regarding minors at the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's...
Senator Hawley Questions EPA on Risks to Missouri after Ohio Train Derailment
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Michael Regan expressing his concerns about the potential impact to Missouri over the train derailment and subsequent disaster unfolding in Ohio. "This is a terrible tragedy for that community and presents potential far-reaching safety hazards to those living and working downstream of the event. Many in my State of Missouri are now asking whether it is safe to drink their water or consume products made in the region. [...] It is imperative that the EPA is transparent with the American people about the risks this disaster may pose to the health, safety, and well-being of those in affected areas," wrote Senator Hawley. Read the full...
New Hawley Op-Ed: ‘Congress must act to keep kids off social media’
By U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) | Feb. 16, 2023 | Washington Post This Congress is less than two months old, and a good many Capitol watchers have already written it off as a lost cause. With control split between Republicans and Democrats, can anything get done? Of course it can. Lawmakers can enact transformative change almost overnight — if they have the will to act. And I can think of at least one nonpartisan issue that deserves this kind of urgency: protecting children online. We should start by establishing an age requirement of 16 for social media. [...] It’s not just algorithms and design decisions putting kids at risk. Child sexual abuse material circulates on mainstream platforms such as Twitter, fueling an underground economy run by human traffickers....
Senate Unanimously Passes Resolution Celebrating Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl Victory
This morning, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) in speaking on the floor ahead of the Senate’s unanimous passage of the Missouri-Kansas delegation resolution honoring the Kansas City Chiefs for their Super Bowl LVII victory:
Hawley Delivers National Security Speech ‘China and Ukraine: A Time for Truth’
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) delivered remarks at the Heritage Foundation in a speech entitled, “China and Ukraine: A Time for Truth.” The discussion focused on developing a defense policy that prioritizes our biggest threat, China; challenges to the consensus on Ukraine; and safeguards for Americans at home. Remarks as prepared can be found below. China and Ukraine: A Time for Truth Three years ago, in October of 2019, I went to visit Hong Kong. It wasn’t a standard, ceremonial sort of visit. In fact, the State Department wasn’t a big fan of my going there at all. I went there in the midst of major protests against the Chinese government. Beijing had originally promised the people of Hong Kong that, once the city passed into Chinese control, it would keep its...
Hawley Sends New Letter Demanding Answers on Federal Funding of Washington University Pediatric Transgender Clinic
As part of his ongoing investigation, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a new letter to Washington University in St. Louis Chancellor Dr. Andrew Martin and BJC HealthCare President and CEO Richard Liekweg today, requesting information about the receipt and use of federal funds in connection with The Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital. "I appreciate the University’s promise to investigate these claims thoroughly and accommodate congressional oversight requests," wrote Senator Hawley. "I now write to request specific information and records relevant to the receipt and use of federal funds in connection with the Transgender Center." He continued, "Federal taxpayer dollars should never be used to perform...
Protect Our Kids from Child Abuse: New Hawley Bill Holds Youth Trans Clinics Accountable
Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced the Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act, new legislation that would allow those who were harmed by gender-transition procedures as minors to bring lawsuits against the participating individuals and entities. "What the American people are seeing take place at pediatric gender clinics in St. Louis and across the nation is appalling,” said Senator Hawley. “Children who are harmed by these dangerous procedures, which are often irreversible and sterilizing, will now be able to fight back against those who perpetrated their abuse. And federal taxpayers will no longer be forced to foot the bill for abusive treatment.” Last week, Senator Hawley announced an investigation into whistleblower allegations of child abuse...