Ranking Members Coons, Murray, Reed, Warner, Schatz, Warren statement on President Trump’s ultimatum to Ukraine

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair, Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Mark Warner (D-Va.), Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman, Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, issued the following statement in response to a reported deal the Trump administration proposed to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that would require heavy Ukrainian concessions:

“The United States is safer and stronger when democracies like Ukraine are free, stable, and strong enough to deter our adversaries. The deal President Trump is forcing on Ukraine calls on Ukraine and NATO allies to make major concessions or risk losing American support. It goes so far as to hand Russia substantial territory it has not been able to take on the battlefield thanks to the bravery of the Ukrainian forces. This deal will not create a just and lasting peace. It will leave Ukraine vulnerable, Europe unstable, and America weaker. It will not end the war in Eastern Europe. It will only give Russia time to rebuild and rearm before coming back for the rest of Ukraine and then setting its sights on NATO allies.

“President Trump needs to work with Republicans and Democrats in Congress alongside our partners in Ukraine and NATO allies to find a lasting solution that will make Americans and the world safer.

“We support the cause of peace in Ukraine. Ukraine must emerge as a free, sovereign state with the ability to defend itself and deter Russia, and President Putin must learn that aggression does not pay. Ukraine should not be forced into accepting this dangerous proposal, and Congress must make unmistakably clear that we stand firmly against it.

“Let us be clear: this is a war of Russian aggression, led by a dictator who has commanded his troops to commit war crimes, steal children from their families, and torture civilians. President Trump is rewarding President Putin for these crimes while cutting out the Ukrainians who have fought and died for the cause of democracy and our European allies who have stepped up to support them.

“Americans would also have to live with the ramifications of a bad deal: allies and partners who see us as untrustworthy and are less willing to come to our aid when we call for help. A weakened nation on the world stage. Adversaries who know they can simply wait for us to cave. A government in Washington that continues to abandon the principles of separate but equal branches of government.

“We will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine and for American safety and security.”

Senators Coons, McCormick introduce bill to boost U.S. AI leadership with energy-efficient liquid cooling technology

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) today introduced the Liquid Cooling for AI Act. This legislation is designed to help ensure American AI infrastructure is the most efficient, resilient, secure, and advanced in the world. Liquid cooling technology can better accommodate advanced chips in AI infrastructure, like data centers, while better managing energy consumption and its strain on utilities. In addition to Senators Coons and McCormick, this legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.). Companion legislation is led in the U.S. House by Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.).

The United States faces an unprecedented expansion in data center energy usage, primarily driven by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence processes and operations. A 2024 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Energy Usage Report shows U.S. data centers consumed 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023 – up from 1.9% in 2018 – and could reach as high as 12.8% by 2028 due to rapid growth in AI and cloud computing. To put this in context, that demand would equal the combined electricity consumption of all U.S. residential lighting and household appliances.

As the U.S. works to maintain technological supremacy and ramp up AI innovation, we must adopt transformative approaches to reduce both energy consumption and infrastructure costs. The Liquid Cooling for AI Act works to address these challenges by:

• Directing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the research and development (R&D) needs and conditions affecting liquid cooling utilization in data centers
• Requiring the Department of Energy to evaluate GAO’s findings and submit a report to Congress with recommendations for liquid cooling and heat reuse R&D
• Creating a liquid cooling advisory organization of industry experts to consult with federal agencies and establish government-wide best practices for liquid cooling in AI facilities

“Leading the world in AI innovation shouldn’t have to mean skyrocketing energy bills for American families or giving up ground in the fight against climate change,” said Senator Coons. “This bipartisan bill will encourage the development of new technologies that keep American businesses and our military ahead in the AI race, promoting innovation and growing our economy while keeping our nation secure and lowering costs.”

“As our nation pushes to win the global AI race, we must ensure we use the most advanced technologies available, and that includes innovative cooling systems capable of supporting advanced chips,” said Senator McCormick. “This legislation is a step towards easing pressure on utilities and customers, promoting energy efficiency in AI infrastructure, and leveraging market-driven technologies to boost U.S. computing capacity.”

“The United States must win the AI Race against China, but it cannot do so without access to abundant and affordable energy. Liquid cooling of IT equipment at data centers and other advancements can ease electrical grid strain and help lower costs for consumers,” said Senator Budd. “I am glad to work with Senators McCormick and Coons in this effort to boost energy efficiency so we can help unleash AI innovation across the country.”

“With the dramatic growth of AI and the accompanying increase in electricity demand from data centers, we must ensure we are using the most efficient cooling technologies and protecting consumers from price hikes. This bipartisan legislation will help advance liquid cooling systems — a critical and sustainable method of cooling that improves energy efficiency and thermal performance, while improving affordability for consumers,” said Senator Schiff.

The bill is endorsed by Chemours, American Chemistry Council, University of Delaware Office of Research, Accelsius, AI Supply Chain Alliance, SEMI Americas, 2CRSi, UNICOM Engineering, Alcatex, Cool Filtration, Grenzebach, Schneider Electric, Vertiv, and EneosUSA.

“The AI Supply Chain Alliance strongly supports the bipartisan Liquid Cooling for AI Act in the Senate. As AI workloads grow and chip densities outpace traditional cooling, liquid cooling is essential infrastructure for America to lead in AI. This bill takes a smart, no-cost approach by directing the Government Accountability Office and Department of Energy to establish the research, guidance, and best practices needed to scale efficient, reliable AI systems nationwide. We look forward to working with Sens. McCormick, Coons, Schiff, and Budd to strengthen the U.S. AI supply chain and ensure America can build, power, and cool the next generation of AI,” said AI Supply Chain Alliance (AI-SCA).

“As AI workloads grow and next-gen chips generate more heat, data centers need more efficient and effective cooling solutions that can keep pace. By dramatically reducing energy and water usage compared to traditional air cooling, liquid cooling delivers both performance and sustainability. This bill is a forward-thinking step toward modernizing critical infrastructure, and we’re proud to support with innovative products that keep America at the forefront of the global AI race,” said Denise Dignam, Chemours President and CEO.

“As data centers grow to power advanced AI systems, they place unprecedented strain on our electric grid and water resources. The Liquid Cooling for AI Act [or “this proposed legislation”] promotes a far more efficient heat transfer method than air, reducing energy consumption and water use while ensuring our digital infrastructure can meet future demands,” said Miguel Garcia-Diaz, Vice President of Research, Scholarship and Innovation, University of Delaware.

“Maintaining U.S. leadership in AI and advanced computing requires infrastructure that is both efficient and sustainable. By prioritizing liquid cooling, this legislation supports innovation, reduces environmental impact, and ensures the nation remains competitive in the global technology landscape,” said Rusty Cone, General Manager, UNICOM Engineering.

“Chemistry powers the innovations that drive American competitiveness,” said Chris Jahn, President and CEO, American Chemistry Council. “From advanced cooling technologies to the materials enabling artificial intelligence, the chemical industry is fueling breakthroughs across every facet of technology development. We thank Senators McCormick and Coons for introducing the Liquid Cooling for AI Act, which will help guide smart, science-based decisions to keep the U.S. at the forefront of the AI race and global manufacturing leadership. American success relies on American Chemistry,” said Chris Jahn, American Chemistry Council CEO.

“The need is urgent: Energy demand is rising sharply as more data centers and high-performance computing clusters expand to support AI-driven products and services. The Liquid Cooling for AI Act of 2025 would lay the groundwork for the development and adoption of liquid cooling technologies that are essential to maintaining the U.S. AI sector’s momentum and sustaining its growth in the long term. SEMI applauds Senator McCormick and Senator Coons for championing this critical legislation,” said Joe Stockunas, President, SEMI Americas.

“The acceleration of AI workloads presents an unprecedented opportunity for the United States to lead the world in efficient, resilient, and responsible data center innovation. Advanced liquid cooling technologies are essential to meeting the rising power density and sustainability demands of next-generation AI systems. We commend Senators Coons and McCormick for introducing the ‘Liquid Cooling for AI Act’, which sets an essential foundation for safeguarding U.S. technological leadership while promoting sustainable infrastructure. At 2CRSi, we are proud to support policies that drive innovation, reduce energy consumption, and enable the deployment of advanced AI computing at scale,” said Alain Wilmouth, CEO, 2CRSi.

“AI and data-center growth are inevitable, and the responsible path forward is understanding every sustainable option. This bill takes a pragmatic, technical look at liquid cooling by recognizing the differences between 1-phase and 2-phase systems, as well as the differences between direct-to-chip and immersion, so communities and operators can make informed decisions that support both climate goals and economic growth,” said Dr. Richard Bonner, CTO, Accelsius.

“Modine remains committed to Engineering a Cleaner Healthier World™ and part of our mission involves offering best-in-class thermal management solutions for data centers. We are excited to support the Liquid Cooling for AI Act, along with Chemours, to develop energy efficient and low-water usage two-phase immersion thermal management solutions for data center applications,” said Mark Johnson, Vice President, Innovation and Technology, Modine.

The text of the bill is available here.

A one-pager is available here.

A section-by-section is available here.

REMARKS: Senator Coons criticizes President Trump’s failure to stand with Taiwan in blistering committee remarks

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) denounced President Trump’s wavering commitment to Taiwan in spite of strong bipartisan congressional support at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Taiwan today.

“The security, the status of Taiwan – as all three of our witnesses have said this morning – is absolutely essential to our national security, to our economic security, to the 21st century. Whether or not we effectively deter the PRC from taking over Taiwan by force, whether through quarantine or invasion, is probably the most decisive issue of this committee and this Senate will have to address,” Senator Coons said. “It is baffling to me that despite strong bipartisan agreement that this is a critical security issue, that our president is stepping back.”

Tensions in the South China Sea and between Beijing and Taipei have increased in recent years, with Chinese President Xi Jinping threatening a “reunification” with Taiwan in the coming years. In the face of these threats, Congress has acted to support Taiwan, passing the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act in 2023 and providing robust military funding for Taiwan.

Earlier this year, Senator Coons and East Asia Subcommittee Chair Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) traveled to Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, where they saw firsthand Chinese threats to Taiwan and the entire region. They later led a tabletop exercise gaming out a potential Chinese energy embargo of Taiwan and potential American responses. This year, Congress has also passed Senator Coons’ Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act to strengthen the State Department’s Taiwan policy guidance.

While Congress increases its support for Taiwan, however, the Trump administration is stepping back. As Senator Coons mentioned in his remarks this morning, foreign military sales (FMS) to Taiwan have all but dried up this year. After averaging $4.5 billion per year in FMS during President Trump’s first term, there have been only $300 million in FMS to Taiwan this year. Additionally, the Trump administration has canceled high-level defense dialogues with Taiwan and denied the Taiwanese president transit through the United States.

In addition to being a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Coons is Ranking Member of the Committee’s East Asia Subcommittee and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

A video and transcript of Senator Coons’ questioning is available below.

WATCH HERE.

Senator Coons: Thank you, Mr. Chairman, thank you to our witnesses.

This is a critically important hearing. The security, the status of Taiwan – as all three of our witnesses have said this morning – is absolutely essential to our national security, to our economic security, to the 21st century. Whether or not we effectively deter the PRC from taking over Taiwan by force, whether through quarantine or invasion, is probably the most decisive issue this committee and this Senate will have to address.

I’m the senior Democrat on defense appropriations. We are investing a huge amount and ensuring we have the naval and aviation and the space resources for a Taiwan contingency, yet we are missing several critical issues that you all just testified to – and I am concerned this administration, rather than focusing and bearing down on the important and critical ways you have just suggested we could provide support for Taiwan, is taking its foot off the gas.

I was grateful for the chance to travel to Taiwan recently with Senator Ricketts and to introduce bipartisan legislation that would help address some of these key challenges around FMS that you’ve mentioned.

The Senate has long played a central role in U.S.-Taiwan policy back to the Taiwan Relations Act 50 years ago, and today, with the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act signed into law by the last president. Our role today is all the more important because we have a partner in Taiwan that is stepping up in critical ways. As Senator Ricketts and I saw on our trip to the region and our visit to Taiwan, they are making dramatic investments that are significantly improving not just their defense budget, but what they’re buying, what they’re doing with it, and how they’re delivering a whole-of-society resilience effort.

It is baffling to me that despite strong bipartisan agreement that this is a critical security issue, that our president is stepping back. If we just look at a timeline of the major security cooperation announcements and congressional notifications concerning Taiwan that occurred from January 2023 to the present – this is FMS sales, FMS obligations, presidential drawdown authorities – [it’s] a very, very long and robust list. And then since President Trump came to office, virtually none.

Ms. Glaser’s testimony noted FMS sales to Taiwan in Trump’s first term was a record $18 billion, but so far in this term, a tiny fraction, ~$300 million. On top of that, the Trump administration has canceled high-level defense dialogs and denied the President of Taiwan transit through the United States, undoing a long-standing precedent of presidents of both parties. All of this to curry favor with China in the midst of a flawed tariff fight.

So, from where I sit, the measure of our policy has to be the impact it has on our adversary – in this case, the PRC.

Ms. Glaser, you’re a recognized China expert, and you keep close tabs on the PRCs perceptions, on Xi’s perceptions, the PLA’s perceptions. How are they seeing all of this? How is this potentially emboldening Xi to make the decision that today’s the day that he will take action, far more aggressive action and risky action, against Taiwan?

Ms. Glaser: Well, thank you, Senator Coons, for your remarks. And we met at the Aspen security forum and in the summer, and I remember you had recently come back from Taiwan, and very much appreciate your attention to the issue.

Taiwan is doing, of course, a great deal to bolster its own ability to defend the island. And I know we are working closely with Taiwan. But the PRC, I think, looks at Taiwan’s capabilities and sees that it can use whatever means that it has to take Taiwan. It will probably try to do so in a way before the United States can get there.

And if they see this administration as diminishing its support for Taiwan, as I said in my testimony, they will probably be more willing to use coercion, to increase measures that it has operated, for example, in the contiguous zone around Taiwan, maybe even fly aircraft in the territorial sea and airspace. And there may be more potential for miscalculation, that they may actually think that the United States will not respond, and they could impose a blockade and then see if there is no response, that then they will wait for Taiwan to surrender when it runs out of energy.

Senator Coons: Thank you.

Dr. Dickey, you mentioned that [the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act (TERA)] provided the authority for the establishment of a regional contingency stockpile in Taiwan, but the executive branch has done nothing. Can you just briefly walk through the pros and cons of this concept: any unique circumstances in the case of Taiwan given the tyranny of distance, why this might be an urgent priority?

Dr. Dickey: Thanks, Senator Coons, and yes, I agree with you that it should remain an urgent priority.

So, there’s two types of stockpiles that I think are really needed. TERA authorizes one that is on Taiwan, but we also need one or multiple elsewhere within the region for the U.S. and allies to use.

You know, when I was in DOD – I departed last March – one of the challenges that we had was this policy question of who owns what and who builds what, right, and ensuring that for whatever stockpile was built that the appropriations matched up with the authority. The challenge we had then was we lacked the military construction or O&M line-item appropriations to build the stockpiles, but we also hadn’t really reached the policy clarity we needed on who would own the keys.

There was a lot of comparison to the Israel model at the time and discussion as to whether, you know, this should look like Israel or shouldn’t look like Israel, the pros and cons of each. And, as I understand it, a lot of those conversations, you know, never really reached their full fruition.

So, my belief is that this stockpile is feasible, but it needs to be done by and with and through Taiwan partners. And once it’s built – as it’s built – it should include not just sort of the hard materiel capabilities that the U.S. or Taiwan would need, but also the non-materiel things – things like medical supplies, food, rations, water, et cetera – things that would really support the people of Taiwan in any crisis scenario.