Peter Welch

Electoral integrity

Criminal justice

Fiscal policy

Healthcare

Education

Economy and labor

Environment and energy

Immigration

National security and foreign policy

Civil rights and liberties

Social policy

Technology and data

Civil liberties and government power

Government accountability and transparency

Infrastructure and public investment

Welch submitted a statement to the Congressional Record documenting reports of sexual violence against prisoners in the Middle East, including allegations against Egyptian authorities, Hamas militants, and Israeli security forces, and urging colleagues to read specific New York Times articles on the subject.

Welch moved to proceed to S.J. Res. 135, a resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection's withdrawal of whistleblower protections under CFPA Section 1057, and stated that the CFPB's whistleblower protection rule should be reinstated because corporations are forcing whistleblowers to sign overly broad nondisclosure agreements that prevent them from reporting abusive practices.

Welch moved to proceed to S.J. Res. 134, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection's withdrawal of its rule protecting consumers using "buy now, pay later" loans.

Welch submitted a statement to the Congressional Record on World Press Freedom Day discussing the deaths of journalists killed by Israeli security forces, including specific cases such as Shireen Abu Akleh, Dylan Collins, and Palestinian journalists in Gaza.

Welch co-sponsored Senate Resolution 715 recognizing escalating threats to freedom of the press and freedom of speech worldwide in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2026.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, stating that President Trump's budget proposed to eliminate funding for the program that was established by President Ronald Reagan in 1981.

Welch stated that President Trump's war on Iran and Lebanon is wrong, is hurting the United States and its security, is destabilizing the Middle East, has imperiled the American economy, and was based on rejected advice from Prime Minister Netanyahu rather than consultation with allies or Cabinet officials.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the SAVE America Act, presenting a letter from a Vermont town clerk expressing concerns that the legislation would create barriers for voters and place administrative burdens on election officials.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor regarding the war in Iran, stating that 3,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne were being deployed to join 5,000 marines, and arguing that the President's strategy of military escalation had not been subject to Congressional debate or discussion.

Welch called for an immediate end to the war with Iran that he stated President Trump started on February 28, arguing that continuing the conflict would result in massive taxpayer spending, civilian casualties, displacement, and economic harm.

Welch introduced S. 4095, a bill to call for accountability for the killing of 5-year-old Hind Rajab and two paramedics in an attack in Gaza City on January 29, 2024, and to require the Secretary of State to report to Congress on the attack.

Welch outlined conditions for a U.S.-Cuba deal that included ending restrictions on American travel to Cuba, removing Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list, repealing the U.S. embargo, and lifting the blockade on Cuban oil imports, while also calling on Cuba's leaders to abandon central planning and release political dissidents.

Welch stated that the President made a unilateral decision to start a war in the Middle East without consulting Congress, that the American people do not want this war based on previous experiences in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, and that the Constitution vests war-making authority in Congress, not in one man.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor marking the 10th anniversary of Berta Caceres's murder and called on the new Honduran Government to ensure accountability for those involved in her assassination and to implement recommendations from an Interdisciplinary Group of Independent Experts' report on her murder.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the expiration of the New START Treaty on February 5, 2025, and called for urgent negotiations on a verifiable replacement treaty with more effective mechanisms to prevent the development, proliferation, and use of nuclear weapons.

Welch co-sponsored S. 3761, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exempt qualified student loan bonds from the volume cap and the alternative minimum tax.

Paul Amdt. No. 4272

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4236

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4234

Motion to Table Lee Amdt. No. 4286

Sanders Amdt. No. 4290

Motion to Waive All Applicable Budgetary Discipline Re: Merkley Amdt. No. 4287

H.R. 7148, as Amended

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 7148

Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 3627

Motion to Invoke Cloture: H.R. 6938

H.R. 6938

Welch stated that President Trump decided to withdraw the United States from 66 United Nations organizations, offices, and treaties without consulting Congress, and argued that such a unilateral step would weaken U.S. global leadership and national security.

Is the Point of Order Well Taken Re: To the Privilege Status of S.J. Res. 98

Motion to Proceed to S.J. Res. 84

Motion to Invoke Cloture: Motion to Proceed to H.R. 6938

Motion to Discharge S.J.Res. 98

Confirmation: Alexander C. Van Hook, of Louisiana, to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Louisiana

Welch cosponsored S. 3607, the Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2026, which amends the Social Security Act to provide expanded coverage of genetic counseling services under Medicare Part B.

Welch co-sponsored S. 3607, a bill to amend the Social Security Act to provide expanded Medicare coverage of services furnished by genetic counselors under part B of the Medicare program.

Motion to Proceed to S.J.Res. 86

Confirmation: Joshua Simmons, of Virginia, to be General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency

Confirmation: Sara Bailey, of Texas, to be Director of National Drug Control Policy

Welch submitted a bipartisan bill to sunset Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and called for Congress to act on regulating how tech platforms moderate content.

Confirmation: Keith Bass, of Texas, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense

Welch stated that the United States has deployed approximately 15,000 military personnel, 13 warships including the USS Gerald Ford carrier group, and more than 100 advanced aircraft to the Caribbean region, and questioned whether President Trump could unilaterally plunge the country into war with Venezuela for regime change without Congressional approval under the War Powers Act.

Welch rose to speak about the ongoing civil war and humanitarian crisis in Burma, discussing the Burmese military's crimes against humanity, the February 2021 coup, the displacement of Rohingya and other minority groups, and calling for the United States to reverse its ban on travel by Burmese citizens and increase aid to the Burmese people.

Welch described Ukraine's military capabilities and innovations over the past four years, including the development of domestically-produced drones and cruise missiles, and outlined the contributions made by the United States and European allies to Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion.

Welch co-submitted Senate Concurrent Resolution 24 recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.

Welch joined Mrs. Shaheen and four other senators in sponsoring S. Con. Res. 24, a concurrent resolution recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.

Welch voiced concern about the incarceration, prosecution, and punishment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military justice system, stating that civilians and especially children should not be prosecuted in military courts.

Welch co-submitted an amendment to extend temporary enhanced premium credits under the Internal Revenue Code through January 1, 2027.

Welch requested that the name of Senator Tillis from North Carolina be added as a cosponsor of S. Res. 483, a resolution honoring the extraordinary life, leadership, and legacy of Dr. Jane Goodall.

Welch spoke on September 3, 2025, about the upcoming November 30 general elections in Honduras, expressing concerns about potential electoral fraud, the resignation of an electoral council member, and the government's implementation of an election results transmission system.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor about healthcare premium increases for Vermonters under the Affordable Care Act, providing specific examples of individuals facing significant cost increases when tax credits expire at the end of the year.

Welch stated that on September 11, 2025, USAID confirmed to the New York Times that $9.7 million worth of contraceptives stored in Belgium had been destroyed at the direction of the Trump administration, but that the spokeswoman rescinded this statement the next day claiming miscommunication.

Welch stated that the Gaza cease-fire must lead to a two-state solution and expressed alarm at Netanyahu's use of food and medicine delivery as a political tool, calling for unobstructed humanitarian aid of 600 trucks daily to Gaza.

Welch stated that he was not present for rollcall vote no. 576 on the Republican continuing resolution proposal and would have voted no had he been present.

Welch expressed support for Senator Merkley's resolution calling on the President to recognize an independent and sovereign State of Palestine alongside a secure State of Israel, stating that the two-state solution is a long-held position of both Republican and Democratic administrations that must not be abandoned.

Welch co-sponsored S. Res. 373, a resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cabo Verde and celebrating the contributions of Cabo Verdean-Americans, and co-sponsored S. Res. 374, a resolution expressing that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr. should be removed from his position.

Welch submitted Senate Resolution 373 recognizing the 50th anniversary of Cabo Verde's independence and celebrating the contributions of Cabo Verdean-Americans to democracy in Cabo Verde and the United States.

Welch expressed concern about the integrity of Honduras's November 30 elections and called for support from the Organization of American States, the United States, and other parties to provide observers and mitigate opportunities for fraud.

Welch made a unanimous consent motion to discharge the Committee on Finance and proceed to immediate consideration of S. 2383.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that Israeli-inflicted starvation of Palestinians must end and that the United States shares responsibility for the catastrophe because it has provided weapons used in the conflict.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the soon-to-expire New START treaty and the possibility of a new nuclear arms race, and discussed the history of J. Robert Oppenheimer and the 2022 decision by Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm to vacate the Atomic Energy Commission's 1954 decision that had revoked Oppenheimer's security clearance.

Welch stated that the administration's decision to withdraw from UNESCO was an uninformed and self-inflicted error, and argued that the State Department's justifications were outdated and inaccurate criticisms of an organization that has undergone dramatic reforms under Director General Audrey Azoulay's leadership since 2017.

Welch stated that Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has failed in border security and disaster response, undermined FEMA's work by instituting a policy requiring her signature on expenses over $100,000, and endangered disaster victims in Texas, North Carolina, New Mexico, California, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Vermont.

Welch submitted an article to the Congressional Record describing a June 25 New York Times article about funding cuts to PEPFAR and the Global Fund, expressing concern about the Trump administration's proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR and $500 million in other global health programs.

Welch introduced S. 2247, a bill to enhance local capacity and expand local control over disaster response, recovery, and preparedness, and stated that FEMA needed significant reform based on feedback from Vermont officials following the 2023 and 2024 floods.

Welch introduced S. 2247, a bill to enhance local capacity and expand local control over the disaster response, recovery, and preparedness process and guarantee stable Federal funding streams for disaster-impacted communities.

Welch stated his intention to make a motion to commit H.R. 1 to the Committee on Agriculture with instructions to make investments in rural communities including water and wastewater infrastructure, housing assistance, energy efficiency, business development, and high-speed internet access.

Welch co-sponsored an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2360 to H.R. 1 that would repeal certain clean energy credit terminations and establish a 39.6 percent individual income tax rate bracket for taxable income over $10,000,000.

Welch co-sponsored S. 2087, a bill to prohibit the use of funds for military force against Iran, introduced by Mr. Sanders.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor to discuss President Trump's request to rescind $9.4 billion in fiscal year 2025 and 2024 appropriations, arguing that the rescissions represent an unconstitutional violation of Congress's Article I appropriations power and citing specific examples including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Welch stated that prescription drugs are too expensive in America, that pharmaceutical companies charge American patients four to six times more than people in other countries pay for the same medications, that the Inflation Reduction Act allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time, and that pharmaceutical companies' claims that reference pricing will strain research and innovation are false.

Welch stated that the Trump administration has deported migrants to El Salvador's CECOT facility despite many having entered the United States legally and some having been approved as refugees or granted temporary protected status.

Welch stated that the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan was a total fiasco, credited it with evacuating at least 120,000 Afghans, acknowledged that hundreds of thousands of Afghans remain stranded, praised the Vermont Afghan Alliance and other refugee assistance organizations for their work, and said that Congress failed to provide necessary funds and authority to streamline the resettlement process while President Trump's suspension of Afghan refugee admissions made the situation worse.

Welch co-sponsored S. 1312, S. 1315, and S. 1316.

Welch co-sponsored Senate Amendment 1690, which would establish a point of order against legislation that increases cost-sharing or out-of-pocket expenses for seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare.

Welch stated that had he been present for rollcall vote No. 100 on S.9 on March 3, 2025, he would have voted no, and explained that the legislation is a gross overreach of Federal authority that does not protect women and girls in sports but instead threatens women's sports by creating harmful Federal gender verification standards.

Welch spoke on the Senate floor about the effects of cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control, stating that over 5,000 people have been fired including 700 from the FDA, 1,200 from the NIH, and 600 from the CDC, and argued that firing people without studying the organization first does not address waste, fraud, and abuse but instead wrecks the program.

Welch stated that political operatives in the Trump administration and Elon Musk have shown they plan to destroy the professional workforce in executive agencies, including the removal of inspectors general and career civil servants without due process and the targeting of USAID for elimination.

Welch made a statement about the murder of Honduran indigenous environmental defender Juan Lopez on September 14, 2024, and urged steps including convening an international commission of experts, providing protection for human rights defenders, and investigating abuses and corruption in the Bajo Aguan region.

Welch stated that President Biden rightly removed Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism list because there is no evidence that Cuba sponsors international terrorism, and that President Trump's redesignation of Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism on his first day in office was a mockery of the law.