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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) Introduces Bill to Make Sure Every Michigander Has a Voice in the Congress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI) introduced the House Expansion Commission Act to commission a study that will make sure every Michigander has a voice in the Congress. As our country has grown, our Congress has not kept up and it means too few lawmakers are advocating for Michiganders. The bill would establish a commission to study expanding the number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives to ensure every American has adequate representation in the Congress as our framers intended.

    “At the heart of our democracy is the principle that every citizen’s voice matters. But the size of current Congressional districts is far bigger than what our framers intended. That’s why I am proud to introduce the House Expansion Commission Act, to make sure every Michigander has adequate representation in the Congress,” said Rep. Haley Stevens. “By establishing a commission to study and recommend solutions for expanding the House, we are taking action to ensure that every voice, in every corner of this nation, is heard and represented. It is time to modernize our system to reflect our nation’s diversity and growth, and this bill will help guide us in that direction.”

    “America’s founders were great innovators, and they wanted each generation to improve their system of government. In this moment of uncertainty and historic distrust in government, Congress should consider innovations to become more effective at meeting the needs of the American people,” said Dustin Wahl, Executive Director of Fix our House. “Expanding the number of seats in Congress could be one way to do that, by making members more responsive to their constituents, better representing our communities, and bringing the first branch of government more into line with founding principles. We at Fix Our House thank Rep. Stevens for her leadership on this issue.”

    “Our country is in great need of election reforms that give voters more choice and greater say and bring our elected officials closer to the people they represent,” said Meredith Sumpter, president and CEO of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization seeking better elections. “The House Expansion Commission Act is a valuable way to explore one of these potential reforms. We thank Rep. Stevens for her leadership in advancing this important conversation.”

    “The framers intended the House to grow with the nation,” said Drew Penrose, policy strategist at Protect Democracy, “and until 1929, the norm was to add members after every census. Our 2024 report— WhereWillTheyAllSit.org — explored how to modernize the Capitol Campus for a larger House, showing not only that expansion is possible, but that it could lead to a more efficient and effective Congress.”

    “For nearly a century, the size of the House of Representatives has remained frozen at 435 members – even as our population has grown by hundreds of millions,” said Stand Up America Executive Director, Christina Harvey, “The House Expansion Commission Act is an important step toward modernizing our democracy. By examining whether expansion is needed, this bill will help us understand how Congress can better reflect the size, diversity, and needs of today’s America. We applaud Rep. Stevens for her innovation and leadership in tackling this long-overdue issue.”

    This legislation is endorsed by FairVote and Stand Up America.

    Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) Introduces Suite of Bills to Lower Housing Costs for Michigan Families

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Haley Stevens (D-MI) introduced four bills in the Congress to help lower housing costs for Michigan families. This comprehensive package of legislation would help Americans buy their first home, age in place, find housing close to needed services, and much more. The four bills are: the Healthy Affordable Housing Act, the Home Accessibility Tax Credit Act, the Fix Moldy Housing Act, and the First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act.

    “Every Michigan family deserves a safe, affordable, and accessible place to live. But for too many in our great state, the cost of housing is way too high. That’s why I’m introducing a comprehensive package of housing legislation — to bring down costs,” said Rep. Haley Stevens. “With the Healthy Affordable Housing Act, the Home Accessibility Tax Credit Act, the Fix Moldy Housing Act, and the First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act we’re not just investing in our infrastructure—we’re investing in families, communities, and our future. This package brings essential services closer to home, increases the supply of housing, tackles environmental hazards, empowers first-time buyers, and ensures older Michiganders and those with disabilities have the support they need to live independently. I’m honored to lead this bold step forward, uniting diverse voices and innovative solutions to make sure every Michigander has a safe, affordable place to call home.”

    The Healthy Affordable Housing Act introduced with U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY), directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to create a competitive grant program to fund affordable housing near needed services including grocery stores, childcare, and public transportation. This bill is supported by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Oakland County Michigan, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, the National Community Development Association, the Michigan Hospital Association, and Habitat for Humanity Oakland County. 

    “There is no issue more important to me than expanding access to safe, healthy, and affordable housing. When I was growing up in the Bronx, public housing was a lifeline for my family,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) in support of the Healthy Affordable Housing Act. “That being said, far too often, public housing units like the one I grew up in lack adequate access to essential services – groceries, healthcare, public transportation, and more – leaving their residents siphoned off from the rest of our society and set up to fail. I refuse to sit by and allow this unacceptable status quo to continue. That’s why I am joining my colleague Rep. Stevens in introducing the Healthy Affordable Housing Act, which would re-invigorate our nation’s affordable housing infrastructure and ensure that they are established with a host of necessary services in close proximity. I would not be where I am today without the stability affordable housing gave me and my family. I want to ensure every American, no matter their zip code, can say the same, and that’s what this bill tries to achieve.”

    The Home Accessibility Tax Credit Act would provide a refundable tax credit to help seniors and Americans with disabilities finance retrofitting their homes to meet their accessibility needs. U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) introduced companion legislation in the United States Senate. This bill is supported by the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the National Disability Institute, the National Council on Independent Living, and the National Federation of the Blind. 

    The Fix Moldy Housing Act would help individuals and local governments remove mold from homes and public buildings to increase the supply of healthy housing and make sure every home in Michigan is safe to live in. This bill is endorsed by the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification, and the National Environmental Health Association. 

    The First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act would increase the amount first-time homebuyers could pull from their IRA savings from the $10,000 set in the 1990s to $25,000, indexed to inflation to use as a down payment on their first home. The First Time Homeowner Savings Plan Act is endorsed by the National Association of Realtors, the American Bankers Association, and the Mortgage Bankers Association.

    A full list of supporting quotes can be found here.

    The full text of each piece of legislation can be found here.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US consumers rush to buy ahead of tariffs

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Americans are racing to make purchases before a tariffs war between the United States and its major trade partners across the world drive up prices, while some of the wealthiest people in the country publicly condemned the policy as potentially catastrophic for the economy.

    In recent weeks, consumers have rushed to increase their purchases of everything from clothing and electronics to cars and furniture, fearing that the costs of goods will jump sharply once tariffs fully take hold.

    “Definitely more people coming into store look to buy TV and electronics to beat the tariff increase,” San Francisco Bay Area-based Best Buy’s sales consultant Van told Xinhua Tuesday.

    The panic-buying has flooded online stores and big-box retailers, including Shein, Ssense, Amazon, Costco, and Walmart, according to The Cut and Facebook News 8 posts. Some online shoppers reported overnight price hikes of 5 to 15 U.S. dollars on items in their carts, citing anticipation of the tariffs.

    “I just bought a TV now instead of waiting,” one user wrote on Reddit. “Prices are already rising on Amazon.” Another thread on the r/carbuying subreddit discussed buyers hurrying to secure vehicles before tariffs increase sticker prices.

    The reckless tariffs, including a tariff on Chinese imports which jumped to 104 percent from midnight of Wednesday, targeted a wide range of goods, from electronics to vehicles. Critics said it will squeeze consumers by raising costs on everyday items.

    For some families, the shift is already painful. A mother in Texas told NPR she used her summer savings to buy back-to-school gear early. “We can’t afford to wait and pay more,” she said. “But now we don’t have money set aside for fall clothes.”

    The “tariff-induced shopping spree” span everything from electronics and appliances to clothing and cars, according to ABC News. Auto sales surged 11.2 percent in March as buyers rushed to beat the 25 percent tariffs on imported vehicles that took effect April 3.

    “Now is the time to buy,” Noel Peguero, a 50-year-old school worker from Queens, New York, told ABC News after spending about 3,500 U.S. dollars on car parts, electronics, and gardening supplies ahead of potential price increases.

    Consumers are actively sharing strategies about what to purchase on social media platforms before prices skyrocket. Reddit users who recently bought homes considered upgrading appliances early, while others on Facebook contemplated purchasing electronics like MacBook laptops before potential price hikes.

    Billionaire Mark Cuban added to consumer concerns by advising people on social media to “buy lots of consumables” before prices increase, recommending “from toothpaste to soap, anything you can find storage space for, buy before they have to replenish inventory.”

    The tariffs introduced on April 2 included a 10 percent universal tariff and additional “reciprocal tariffs” on more than 60 economies who have trade surplus with the United States.

    CBS News reported that the tariffs are actually paid by U.S. importers, who typically pass costs on to consumers.

    Financial experts warned the tariffs represented “the largest tax hike since 1982” and amounted to “an average tax increase of more than 1,900 U.S. dollars per U.S. household in 2025,” according to the Tax Foundation.

    Electronics could see some of the steepest price increases. The Consumer Technology Association estimated that laptop and tablet prices could rise by up to 45 percent, while smartphones may increase by an average of 213 U.S. dollars, representing a 26 percent jump.

    Clothing prices are expected to increase by up to 20 percent, while footwear costs could rise between 20 and 30 percent due to reliance on international manufacturing.

    According to an analysis cited by lifestyle blog Cha Ching Queen, toys could see among the most dramatic price hikes, potentially rising 36 to 56 percent.

    Meanwhile, several billionaires who were republican supporters during last year’s presidential election have broken ranks to criticize the tariff policy.

    Bill Ackman delivered perhaps the most stark warning on Monday, calling the tariffs tantamount to launching an “economic nuclear war” that would severely damage America’s reputation with trading partners.

    Even Elon Musk, who has been heading the Department of Government Efficiency, called for “a zero-tariff situation” between the U.S. and Europe during an Italian political event. Musk also criticized Whitehouse trade adviser Peter Navarro, suggesting his Harvard economics PhD is “a bad thing, not a good thing,” on X, his social media platform.

    Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone, a GOP megadonor and billionaire, also blasted the tariffs, calling the 46 percent import duties on Vietnam “bullshit” and describing the tariff rate on China as “too aggressive, too soon,” on CNBC.

    “The cost of materials for the project I quoted to a client must now cost a lot higher due to the tariff,” home remodeling contractor Jose told Xinhua outside the Home Depot store in San Jose, California. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Joins Cohort of Congressional Energy and Environment Lawmakers Leading Bicameral Letter to Oppose EPA’s Wholesale Assault on Environmental and Public Health Protections

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter signed by 180 members of Congress

    Washington (April 9, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW); the leaders of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), including Co-Chairs Reps. Doris Matsui, Mike Quigley, and Paul Tonko and Vice Chairs Reps. Don Beyer, Suzanne Bonamici, Sean Casten, Mike Levin, and Chellie Pingree; and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in a bicameral letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin calling out his wholesale assault on the central mission of the agency he was appointed to lead.  They were joined by Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, bringing the total to 180 Members of Congress calling on Administrator Zeldin to halt his egregious attacks.

    “In just two months as EPA Administrator, you have demonstrated a complete disregard for the central mission of the agency you were appointed to lead. Instead of protecting the environment – as the agency name directs – you are protecting the special interests of big polluters,” wrote the 180 Members. “We urge you to halt your egregious attacks on the public health and well-being of the American people.”

    They pointed out that, as a result of the Trump EPA repealing and gutting critical environmental and public health protections, communities and families will pay higher health costs and be exposed to more mercury and air toxics from coal-fired power plants and more polluted wastewater from oil and gas producers. 

    “While countries around the world are clamoring for cleaner, cheaper, and more innovative technologies, you are actively hamstringing America’s homegrown clean energy industry, which has already injected $422 billion and 400,000 jobs into our economy in just the past two and a half years,” the lawmakers wrote to Administrator Zeldin. “This is anything but unleashing American energy. At the same time, instead of lowering costs for American families, your actions will result in the opposite. Americans’ medical expenses will increase because your Polluters First agenda will allow particulate matter and other hazardous air pollution to go unchecked.”

    Their letter explained that for every $1 the country spends to reduce air pollution, it is estimated to yield $30 in economic benefits in return. Yet, the Trump EPA is choosing to unleash more air pollutants that are linked to Alzheimer’s, miscarriages, and childhood asthma, as well as other public health concerns.

    “Your actions will needlessly increase American families’ exposure to the pollution that can make them sick and stick them with the bill for their care,” concluded the Members.

    The full letter can be found here.

    Background

    On March 12, Administrator Zeldin announced the “biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history,” which included rolling back 31 environmental rules and regulations. This list of actions directly threatens Americans’ health and fundamental right to clean air and water by:

    1. Rolling back National Ambient Air Quality Standards for particulate matter – some of the most dangerous air pollution known to directly cause asthma and other health issues;
    2. Gutting EPA rules that prevent hazardous metals like mercury and arsenic from ending up in our water supply;
    3. Reconsidering national emissions standards for cancer-causing hazardous air pollutants, including ethylene oxide;
    4. Ending the “Good Neighbor” rule, which simply acknowledged that pollution does not respect state lines and that downwind states should not be burdened by their neighbors’ pollution;
    5. Repealing power plant emissions standards, allowing existing gas and coal-fired power plants to pump unlimited climate pollution into our air; and
    6. Revoking the landmark “Endangerment Finding” that simply states climate-changing pollutants are dangerous to human health, and which serves as the foundation for climate pollution to be regulated under the Clean Air Act.

    And more.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister’s statement on Kootenay Lake ferry dispute

    Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Labour, has issued the following statement on the Kootenay Lake ferry labour dispute:

    “I am pleased that the union, BCGEU Local 2009, and employer, Western Pacific Marine, are expected to resume full ferry service on Friday, April 11, 2025. The two sides have agreed to submit proposals to special mediator Vince Ready, who will issue binding recommendations on all remaining matters.

    “I would like to thank Mr. Ready for his ongoing work on this incredibly important file.

    “This is welcome news for residents who rely on the Kootenay Lake ferries. I want to recognize their patience and resilience during the service interruptions. I also want to acknowledge the strong advocacy of MLA Brittny Anderson and MLA Steve Morissette, who worked hard to represent the needs of their constituents.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai pens Bloomberg News article on Taiwan’s response to US reciprocal tariffs

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-04-08
    President Lai receives credentials from new Tuvalu Ambassador Lily Tangisia Faavae  
    On the morning of April 8, President Lai Ching-te received the credentials of new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tuvalu to the Republic of China (Taiwan) Lily Tangisia Faavae. In remarks, President Lai welcomed the ambassador to her new post and thanked Tuvalu for its long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation. The president also noted that joint efforts between our two countries have produced fruitful results in such areas as medicine and public health, agricultural and fisheries technology, and information and communications technology. He expressed his hope that we will continue to deepen our bilateral relations so as to generate even greater well-being for our peoples and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Pacific region. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: It is a great pleasure today to receive the credentials of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tuvalu Lily Tangisia Faavae. On behalf of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I extend my warmest welcome to you. Last year, the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Tuvalu celebrated 45 years of diplomatic relations. Prime Minister Feleti Teo visited Taiwan in May last year for the inauguration of myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao and again in October for our National Day celebrations. When I visited Tuvalu last December, I was warmly received by the government and people of Tuvalu, and I deeply felt that our two countries were like family. Ambassador Faavae’s posting to Taiwan demonstrates the importance Prime Minister Teo places on our ties. Widely recognized for her exceptional talent, Ambassador Faavae is an outstanding official with extensive experience in public service. Moreover, during her term as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, she voiced support for Taiwan at the World Health Assembly. I believe that with her assistance, our two nations will further advance cooperation and exchanges. I want to thank the government of Tuvalu for long supporting Taiwan’s international participation. Furthermore, joint efforts between our two countries have produced fruitful results in such areas as medicine and public health, agricultural and fisheries technology, and information and communications technology. Last year, Prime Minister Teo and I signed a joint communiqué on advancing the comprehensive partnership between Taiwan and Tuvalu. Going forward, we will stand together in tackling the challenges we face, including climate change and expanding authoritarianism. And we will continue to deepen our bilateral relations so as to generate even greater well-being for our peoples and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Pacific region. Once again, I warmly welcome Ambassador Faavae to her new post in Taiwan. Please convey warmest regards from Taiwan to Prime Minister Teo and all of our friends in Tuvalu. I wish you all the best in work and life during your term in Taiwan. Ambassador Faavae then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great honor and privilege to meet with President Lai today as the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Tuvalu to Taiwan, and to present to him her letter of credence. She then extended, on behalf of the government and people of Tuvalu, her warmest greetings and deep respect to the president and people of Taiwan. The letter of credence, she noted, signifies the trust and confidence that her government and governor-general have placed in her to represent their nation and to foster and strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our countries. Ambassador Faavae said that our two countries have enjoyed a longstanding relationship of 45 years based on mutual respect, cooperation, and shared values. She added that we have collaborated, and continue to do so, in such fields as education, health, climate change adaptation and sea level rise mitigation, agriculture, clean energy, and internet connectivity.  Ambassador Faavae pointed out that Tuvalu remains committed to deepening ties with Taiwan and that it values people-to-people connections and our shared Austronesian heritage. She noted that the people of Tuvalu, a small developing nation, have greatly benefited from Taiwan’s advanced technical expertise and diverse financial assistance. She said she believes Tuvalu and Taiwan share a common interest and are united in our efforts and commitment to upholding democracy, peace, stability, and prosperity for our people and making the world better and safer.  Ambassador Faavae stated that as ambassador of Tuvalu to Taiwan, she pledges to work diligently and respectfully to enhance our bilateral relations, promote mutual understanding, and facilitate collaboration in areas of shared concern. The ambassador said she looks forward to collaborating closely with the Taiwan government and other stakeholders to achieve our common objectives and to continue building a more prosperous and harmonious future for our nations. In closing, she thanked President Lai for the opportunity to serve and to further the enduring friendship between our two countries.  

    Details
    2025-03-28
    President Lai meets British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones
    On the afternoon of March 28, President Lai Ching-te met with British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones. In remarks, President Lai welcomed Representative Bradley-Jones as she takes up her post in Taiwan, and thanked the United Kingdom government and parliament for demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan. The president indicated that Taiwan and the UK enjoy close economic and trade ties, and our industries complement each other well, with great potential for collaboration in such fields as semiconductors, AI, unmanned vehicles, and medium- and low-orbit satellites. He stated that he looks forward to expanding exchanges with the UK across all domains so as to enhance democratic and economic resilience, jointly advancing the prosperous development of the Indo-Pacific region and economic security around the world. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: It is a pleasure to meet Representative Bradley-Jones here at the Presidential Office for this exchange. I understand that she has proactively called at many government agencies since taking up her post last month. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome. Taiwan and the UK are partners that share the values of freedom and democracy. In recent years, our bilateral relations have continued to deepen. With the efforts of Representative Bradley-Jones and our respective governments, I look forward to the expansion of dialogue and cooperation between Taiwan and the UK. This will further elevate our bilateral ties. Especially in the face of expanding authoritarianism, the UK is not only playing an important role in crafting a unified European response; it is also demonstrating staunch support for Taiwan through various channels. For example, joint statements released after the Australia-UK ministerial consultations, as well as the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting, underlined a high level of concern for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The UK government has publicly expressed support for Taiwan’s international participation on multiple occasions. And last November, the UK House of Commons passed a motion clearly asserting that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not mention Taiwan. These actions attest to the UK’s belief in supporting democracy and peace, and have further solidified our countries’ friendship. I would like to convey my deepest gratitude to the UK government and parliament.  Currently, the UK is Taiwan’s fourth largest trading partner in Europe and second largest source of investment from Europe. We enjoy close economic and trade ties, and our industries complement each other well. There is also great potential for collaboration in such fields as semiconductors, AI, unmanned vehicles, and medium- and low-orbit satellites. We look forward to expanding exchanges with the UK across all domains so as to enhance democratic and economic resilience. We also hope the UK will continue to support Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership so that together, we can work with more like-minded partners, jointly advancing the prosperous development of the Indo-Pacific region and economic security around the world. Once again, I welcome Representative Bradley-Jones to Taiwan and wish her all the best with her work. I anticipate that Taiwan-UK relations will continue to steadily advance through our joint efforts. Representative Bradley-Jones then delivered remarks, first saying in Mandarin that she is honored to meet with President Lai to discuss topics of mutual concern and jointly deepen Taiwan-UK relations, promoting mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation. She went on to say that she came to Taiwan last August to study Mandarin, and began her post as British Office Taipei representative in February this year, noting that every day she learns more about and gains a deeper understanding of Taiwan. Last year, she said, she visited Tainan and Wanli, and found Tainan’s wetlands and the scenery in Wanli very impressive. She added that she has also tried many different Taiwanese foods, and is looking forward to experiencing even more of Taiwan’s local culture and customs over the next four years. Continuing her remarks in English, Representative Bradley-Jones stated that since taking up her post, she has borne witness to the strength of the relationship between Taiwan and the UK and the potential for it to continue to grow. She said that on trade and investment, there is significant complementarity between Taiwan’s Five Trusted Industry Sectors and the UK’s Industrial Strategy, particularly in areas such as digital technologies, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy. Both governments are also together supporting Taiwan and UK businesses through our Enhanced Trade Partnership and annual trade talks, she said. Representative Bradley-Jones went on to say that on science and technology, Taiwan and the UK can and should do more together. She noted that the UK has the third largest tech sector in the world and is valued at over US$1.1 trillion, while Taiwan is the center of the semiconductor and AI hardware world. Given our complementary strengths, especially in areas such as semiconductors, space, and communications technology, she said, the UK has stepped up its level of activity in Taiwan, including by regularly hosting a UK Pavilion at SEMICON and funding 18 joint R&D programs through our new collaborative R&D fund, and looks forward to doing more together in the future.  In support of Taiwan’s whole-of-society resilience, the representative said, the UK is supporting valuable exchanges, co-hosting GCTF (Global Cooperation and Training Framework) workshops, sharing lessons on financial sector resilience, and reaching out to mayors and community leaders across Taiwan. From financial resilience to cyber resilience, she said, the UK’s public sector and private industries have plenty to share and learn. Representative Bradley-Jones stated that on people-to-people links, parliamentarians, civil society, and academics are continuing to deepen contact, and that she is particularly excited by a new smart parliament partnership agreed upon by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the UK’s Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which aims to facilitate cross-party, cross-society, and cross-border exchanges on issues such as democratic governance, AI, inclusive policy-making, and public safety. The representative indicated that the examples she mentioned just scratch the surface of the full potential of the Taiwan-UK relationship. She said that the UK’s longstanding policy remains unchanged, and fundamentally, that is because we share a common set of values and interests. We are together focused on how to make our societies safer and more prosperous tomorrow than they are today, she said, and as like-minded democracies, innovative economies, and practical partners, the sincere and pragmatic cooperation between Taiwan and the UK is bringing material benefits to the prosperity and well-being of our people every day. 

    Details
    2025-03-21
    President Lai meets Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy
    On the morning of March 21, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. In remarks, President Lai said that Alaska has long been an important trading partner of Taiwan, and that we have built a solid foundation for cooperation in such fields as energy, fisheries, and tourism. The president expressed hope that Taiwan and Alaska will have more frequent engagement and exchanges so that our relations can continue to grow to create prosperous development for both sides. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend my sincerest welcome to our guests. This is Governor Dunleavy’s first visit to Taiwan, and last night, we both attended the Hsieh Nien Fan (謝年飯) banquet hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. I am delighted to have this opportunity to meet with Governor Dunleavy today at the Presidential Office for further dialogue. Alaska has long been an important trading partner of Taiwan. Our sister-state relationship was established in 1988, and we have built a solid foundation for cooperation in such fields as energy, fisheries, and tourism. Currently, Taiwan is Alaska’s eighth largest export market and ninth largest source of imports. This goes to show just how close our trade and economic ties are and how much potential there is for further growth. As I said in my remarks at last night’s Hsieh Nien Fan banquet, Taiwan is interested in buying Alaskan natural gas. I am sure that Governor Dunleavy’s visit will help us explore even more opportunities for cooperation and continue to deepen Taiwan-United States relations. In the face of such challenges as expanding authoritarianism, climate change, and pandemics, we look forward to strengthening collaboration between Taiwan and the US. By drawing on our strengths, we can jointly build non-red supply chains to bolster our economic resilience and drive the advancement of global technology. I want to thank the US government for reiterating the importance it attaches to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and its opposition to any attempt to change the status quo by force or coercion. These statements backing Taiwan help in maintaining stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region. Once again, I thank Governor Dunleavy for traveling such a long way to Taiwan. We hope to see more frequent engagement and exchanges between Taiwan and Alaska so that our relations can continue to grow, and we can create prosperous development for both sides. Governor Dunleavy then delivered remarks, saying that their trip to visit friends in Taiwan has been fantastic, thanking President Lai for the invitation to meet, and thanking all the staff. Governor Dunleavy said that as the pandemic was raging, the world went from “before COVID” to “after COVID.” Before COVID, he said, the world relied on a number of systems that were in place for decades after World War II involving supply chains, alliances, sources of energy, trading partners, and friends. He went on to say that as we go beyond COVID, we are reestablishing and reevaluating who our friends are, where we are going to get our energy, and who our trading partners are going to be. The governor said that we are creating a new world for the next 50 years with the new administration in Washington, and this is an opportunity for us to reevaluate and reinvest with our friends for the next 50 years in each other, our futures, and our security. Governor Dunleavy stated that one thing is for certain: that Taiwan is a friend of the US and a friend of Alaska, and has been for many, many decades. He said that it is their hope in this trip and subsequent trips to establish an even tighter bond among their friends in Taiwan, the US, and Alaska. The governor also said that we have much in common in that we are members of the Pacific family, are democracies, and believe in freedom, free speech, and capitalism. He indicated that he has much optimism for the future, and that as we reestablish relationships throughout the world, energy is going to be the key and the basis for our economic development, our national security, and our friendship. Governor Dunleavy said that he believes this trip is going to lay the groundwork for a fantastic future between Taiwan, Alaska, and the US, and that with President Lai’s support as well as the support of the US administration, we can work together to build even better relationships.

    Details
    2025-03-20
    President Lai attends AmCham Taiwan 2025 Hsieh Nien Fan
    On the evening of March 20, President Lai Ching-te attended the annual Hsieh Nien Fan (謝年飯) banquet hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan (AmCham Taiwan). In remarks, President Lai pointed out that the United States is now a major source of investment in Taiwan, adding that last year US investment accounted for 11.5 percent of total foreign investment in Taiwan. The president also pointed out that the US has become Taiwan’s largest investment destination, as Taiwan’s direct and indirect investment in the US accounted for more than 40 percent of its total outbound investment last year. President Lai expressed hope that AmCham will continue to offer support in quickly resolving the issue of double taxation, further enhancing the mutually beneficial Taiwan-US economic and trade partnership. He also emphasized that one essential element for our economic prosperity is maintaining security and stability, both regionally and globally. The president expressed his belief that, so long as we coordinate our efforts, we can achieve more in our respective defense industries and build non-red supply chains, advancing peace, stability, and prosperity. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: I’m delighted to be here tonight. I want to wish everyone and their families a happy, healthy, and prosperous year ahead. For many years now, AmCham has acted as a bridge between Taiwan and the US. It not only advocates for Taiwan to various sectors in the US, but also offers advice for the development of Taiwan’s industries. So tonight, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our friends from the American business community. The 2025 Business Climate Survey, published by AmCham this January, demonstrates the confidence foreign businesses have in the Taiwan market. We are happy to see that over 80 percent of survey respondents reported stable or increased revenue last year, and around 80 percent expressed confidence in Taiwan’s economic prospects for the coming year. Moreover, 90 percent of businesses surveyed are planning to maintain or expand their investments in Taiwan. The positive developments in Taiwan made by our American friends here tonight, their outlook for the future, and their confidence in Taiwan, are further proof of Taiwan’s ideal environment for investment. The US is now a major source of investment in Taiwan. Last year, US investment accounted for 11.5 percent of total foreign investment in Taiwan. In 2023, Entegris opened a new manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung and Micron launched a new facility in Taichung. Last year, Google further solidified Taiwan as its biggest R&D hub outside of the US by opening a new office here. AMD, Nvidia, and major cloud computing companies from the US have also been choosing Taiwan to expand their presence. Over the past several years, the US has also become Taiwan’s largest investment destination. Taiwan’s direct and indirect investment in the US accounted for more than 40 percent of our total outbound investment last year. Four years ago, TSMC’s [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company] investment in facilities in Arizona became the biggest FDI [foreign direct investment] in a greenfield project in US history. And this month, TSMC announced it would expand that investment, breaking another record and highlighting the enduring prosperity shared by Taiwan and the US. In addition to TSMC, Taiwan’s GlobalWafers has built a 12-inch silicon wafer factory in Texas, the biggest in the US. This will be followed by many other industries. These companies are confidently expanding their global presence across the Pacific and eastward into the Americas. The US is moving to reindustrialize its manufacturing industry and consolidate high-tech leadership, as it moves to become a global AI hub. In these efforts, Taiwan is an indispensable partner for the US. While the US is a leader in chip design, Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturing plays an irreplaceable part in the supply chain. Adapting to the changing geopolitical landscape and the coming era of smart technology, Taiwan will continue to promote its Five Trusted Industry Sectors of semiconductors, AI, military, next-gen communications, and security and surveillance. This will drive the next stage in our economic development. A great time to invest in Taiwan is now. We will continue to better connect relevant government agencies and align with international standards to foster a friendlier investment environment. And I am confident that Taiwanese and American companies can leverage their respective high-tech expertise and invest in each other, boosting growth in industrial innovation and development for both our economies. At the same time, we hope to continue deepening Taiwan-US trade relations. Last year, Taiwan was the seventh largest trading partner of the US, up one spot from the previous year, and bilateral trade grew by 24.2 percent. Taiwan is going to expand procurement from the US of industrial and agricultural products, as well as natural gas. I am very happy to welcome Governor [Mike] Dunleavy of Alaska, who has specially come all the way to Taiwan. Alaska is a source of high-quality natural gas, and its relatively short distance from Taiwan facilitates transportation. So we are very interested in buying Alaskan natural gas because it can meet our needs and ensure our energy security. We hope that AmCham will continue to offer support in quickly resolving the issue of double taxation and removing tax barriers to bilateral investment and trade, further enhancing the mutually beneficial Taiwan-US economic and trade partnership. One essential element for our economic prosperity is maintaining security and stability, both regionally and globally. So we are grateful for the joint leaders’ statement issued by [US] President [Donald] Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, in which they expressed their solid support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. As we face growing authoritarianism, Taiwan will continue to uphold our values of freedom and democracy and will be a responsible actor in regional and global security. Currently, Taiwan’s defense budget stands at about 2.5 percent of GDP. Going forward, the government will prioritize special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds 3 percent of GDP. At the same time, we will continue to reform national defense, further enhancing Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. And we will advance our cooperation with the US and other democracies in upholding regional stability and prosperity. We also welcome continued Taiwan-US cooperation in the defense sector. I believe that, so long as we coordinate our efforts, we can achieve more in our respective defense industries and build non-red supply chains, advancing peace, stability, and prosperity. In closing, I look forward to seeing even greater achievements from Taiwan-US economic and trade cooperation. Thank you. After remarks, President Lai, AmCham Chairperson Dan Silver, American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene, and Governor Dunleavy raised their glasses in recognition of the strong Taiwan-US friendship.  

    Details
    2025-03-18
    President Lai meets Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs  
    On the afternoon of March 18, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs. In remarks, President Lai said that Taiwan and Arizona enjoy close economic and trade relations, and expressed hope that through our joint efforts, Arizona will become a shining example for Taiwan-United States high-tech collaboration and the creation of non-red supply chains. The president indicated that the next goal for Taiwan and the US is the signing of an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation, which would provide greater incentives for Taiwanese businesses to invest in the US, facilitate the establishment of more comprehensive industry clusters, and generate more job opportunities, representing a win-win outcome for Taiwan-US relations. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome you all to the Presidential Office. Governor Hobbs previously visited Taiwan after taking office in 2023. Her leading a delegation to Taiwan once again demonstrates Arizona’s continued friendship and the importance Arizona attaches to Taiwan. For this, I express my sincerest gratitude, and I welcome you again. In recent years, ties between Taiwan and Arizona have continued to expand and progress. For example, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s investment in Arizona is the largest greenfield investment in US history. This month, TSMC announced that it would increase its investment in the US by US$100 billion. It plans to build more semiconductor fabrication and research and development facilities in greater Phoenix, transforming the area into a US semiconductor hub. Due to our close industrial engagement, we now have more than 30,000 Taiwanese living in Arizona. I would like to thank Governor Hobbs for taking care of Taiwanese businesses and people. I believe that through our joint efforts, Arizona will become a shining example for Taiwan-US high-tech collaboration and the creation of non-red supply chains. Taiwan and Arizona also enjoy close economic and trade relations. Taiwan is Arizona’s eighth largest export market and fifth largest source of imports. Last December, the first agreement under the Taiwan-US Initiative on 21st-Century Trade officially came into effect. I believe this will help further deepen our trade and economic ties. At present, the next goal for Taiwan and the US is the signing of an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation. I hope that we can work together to achieve this goal as soon as possible. This would provide greater incentives for Taiwanese businesses to invest in the US, facilitate the establishment of more comprehensive local industry clusters, and generate more job opportunities, representing a win-win outcome. With Governor Hobbs’s support, we look forward to continuing to advance Taiwan-US relations and promoting further cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Arizona across all domains. I understand that during this visit, you have visited many important companies and exchanged opinions with government agencies on how to strengthen bilateral relations. These efforts all go toward building an even more solid foundation for future Taiwan-US cooperation. Once again, I thank you all for supporting Taiwan and welcome you to visit us often in the future. Governor Hobbs then delivered remarks, stating that under President Lai’s leadership, Taiwan continues to thrive as a global hub for technology, innovation, and advanced manufacturing. She said that she is proud to be back in Taiwan alongside her secretary of commerce, Sandra Watson, as part of a diplomatic and economic delegation from Arizona. Since arriving, she said, they’ve hit the ground running, meeting with key partners, businesses, and leaders, noting that the takeaway from their meetings has been incredibly positive, and that they underscore the strong and enduring partnership between Arizona and Taiwan. Adding that our partnership that is built on shared values, mutual cultural appreciation, and commitment to innovation and economic growth, Governor Hobbs indicated that Arizona and Taiwan’s partnership extends back decades, as Taiwanese fighter pilots have been training at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix since 1996. She said that we have built a strong base of collaboration across many areas, including technology, workforce, and cultural exchange, and that Arizona is even slated to get its own Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐), which she expressed she is very thrilled about. Governor Hobbs went on to say that Arizona’s relationship with Taiwan is anchored by its ongoing partnership with TSMC and many Taiwan-based companies in semiconductor and other industries, and that TSMC’s US$165 billion investment in Arizona will help power development of the world’s most advanced technology, such as AI, and promises to cement an unbreakable bond between our two economies.  She stated that as governor, she can say with confidence that her administration is fully committed to strengthening this relationship in every way possible, because when Arizona and Taiwan succeed, we all succeed. Lastly, Governor Hobbs once again expressed gratitude to President Lai and the people of Taiwan for their warm hospitality. She then invited President Lai to Arizona to continue their productive conversations and further strengthen ties between our people and our economies, adding that she knows there is no limit to what we can achieve together, and that she is looking forward to what is to come. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.

    Details
    2025-04-06
    President Lai delivers remarks on US tariff policy response
    On April 6, President Lai Ching-te delivered recorded remarks regarding the impact of the 32 percent tariff that the United States government recently imposed on imports from Taiwan in the name of reciprocity. In his remarks, President Lai explained that the government will adopt five response strategies, including making every effort to improve reciprocal tariff rates through negotiations, adopting a support plan for affected domestic industries, adopting medium- and long-term economic development plans, forming new “Taiwan plus the US” arrangements, and launching industry listening tours. The president emphasized that as we face this latest challenge, the government and civil society will work hand in hand, and expressed hope that all parties, both ruling and opposition, will support the measures that the Executive Yuan will take to open up a broader path for Taiwan’s economy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: My fellow citizens, good evening. The US government recently announced higher tariffs on countries around the world in the name of reciprocity, including imposing a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan. This is bound to have a major impact on our nation. Various countries have already responded, and some have even adopted retaliatory measures. Tremendous changes in the global economy are expected. Taiwan is an export-led economy, and in facing future challenges there will inevitably be difficulties, so we must proceed carefully to turn danger into safety. During this time, I want to express gratitude to all sectors of society for providing valuable opinions, which the government regards highly, and will use as a reference to make policy decisions.  However, if we calmly and carefully analyze Taiwan’s trade with the US, we find that last year Taiwan’s exports to the US were valued at US$111.4 billion, accounting for 23.4 percent of total export value, with the other 75-plus percent of products sold worldwide to countries other than the US. Of products sold to the US, competitive ICT products and electronic components accounted for 65.4 percent. This shows that Taiwan’s economy does still have considerable resilience. As long as our response strategies are appropriate, and the public and private sectors join forces, we can reduce impacts. Please do not panic. To address the reciprocal tariffs by the US, Taiwan has no plans to adopt retaliatory tariffs. There will be no change in corporate investment commitments to the US, as long as they are consistent with national interests. But we must ensure the US clearly understands Taiwan’s contributions to US economic development. More importantly, we must actively seek to understand changes in the global economic situation, strengthen Taiwan-US industry cooperation, elevate the status of Taiwan industries in global supply chains, and with safeguarding the continued development of Taiwan’s economy as our goal, adopt the following five strategies to respond. Strategy one: Make every effort to improve reciprocal tariff rates through negotiations using the following five methods:  1. Taiwan has already formed a negotiation team led by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君). The team includes members from the National Security Council, the Office of Trade Negotiations, and relevant Executive Yuan ministries and agencies, as well as academia and industry. Like the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, negotiations on tariffs can start from Taiwan-US bilateral zero-tariff treatment. 2. To expand purchases from the US and thereby reduce the trade deficit, the Executive Yuan has already completed an inventory regarding large-scale procurement plans for agricultural, industrial, petroleum, and natural gas products, and the Ministry of National Defense has also proposed a military procurement list. All procurement plans will be actively pursued. 3. Expand investments in the US. Taiwan’s cumulative investment in the US already exceeds US$100 billion, creating approximately 400,000 jobs. In the future, in addition to increased investment in the US by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, other industries such as electronics, ICT, petrochemicals, and natural gas can all increase their US investments, deepening Taiwan-US industry cooperation. Taiwan’s government has helped form a “Taiwan investment in the US” team, and hopes that the US will reciprocate by forming a “US investment in Taiwan” team to bring about closer Taiwan-US trade cooperation, jointly creating a future economic golden age.  4. We must eliminate non-tariff barriers to trade. Non-tariff barriers are an indicator by which the US assesses whether a trading partner is trading fairly with the US. Therefore, we will proactively resolve longstanding non-tariff barriers so that negotiations can proceed more smoothly. 5. We must resolve two issues that have been matters of longstanding concern to the US. One regards high-tech export controls, and the other regards illegal transshipment of dumped goods, otherwise referred to as “origin washing.” Strategy two: We must adopt a plan for supporting our industries. For industries that will be affected by the tariffs, and especially traditional industries as well as micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises, we will provide timely and needed support and assistance. Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and his administrative team recently announced a package of 20 specific measures designed to address nine areas. Moving forward, the support we provide to different industries will depend on how they are affected by the tariffs, will take into account the particular features of each industry, and will help each industry innovate, upgrade, and transform. Strategy three: We must adopt medium- and long-term economic development plans. At this point in time, our government must simultaneously adopt new strategies for economic and industrial development. This is also the fundamental path to solutions for future economic challenges. The government will proactively cooperate with friends and allies, develop a diverse range of markets, and achieve closer integration of entities in the upper, middle, and lower reaches of industrial supply chains. This course of action will make Taiwan’s industrial ecosystem more complete, and will help Taiwanese industries upgrade and transform. We must also make good use of the competitive advantages we possess in such areas as semiconductor manufacturing, integrated chip design, ICT, and smart manufacturing to build Taiwan into an AI island, and promote relevant applications for food, clothing, housing, and transportation, as well as military, security and surveillance, next-generation communications, and the medical and health and wellness industries as we advance toward a smarter, more sustainable, and more prosperous new Taiwan. Strategy four: “Taiwan plus one,” i.e., new “Taiwan plus the US” arrangements: While staying firmly rooted in Taiwan, our enterprises are expanding their global presence and marketing worldwide. This has been our national economic development strategy, and the most important aspect is maintaining a solid base here in Taiwan. We absolutely must maintain a solid footing, and cannot allow the present strife to cause us to waver. Therefore, our government will incentivize investments, carry out deregulation, and continue to improve Taiwan’s investment climate by actively resolving problems involving access to water, electricity, land, human resources, and professional talent. This will enable corporations to stay in Taiwan and continue investing here. In addition, we must also help the overseas manufacturing facilities of offshore Taiwanese businesses to make necessary adjustments to support our “Taiwan plus one” policy, in that our national economic development strategy will be adjusted as follows: to stay firmly rooted in Taiwan while expanding our global presence, strengthening US ties, and marketing worldwide. We intend to make use of the new state of supply chains to strengthen cooperation between Taiwanese and US industries, and gain further access to US markets. Strategy five: Launch industry listening tours: All industrial firms, regardless of sector or size, will be affected to some degree once the US reciprocal tariffs go into effect. The administrative teams led by myself and Premier Cho will hear out industry concerns so that we can quickly resolve problems and make sure policies meet actual needs. My fellow citizens, over the past half-century and more, Taiwan has been through two energy crises, the Asian financial crisis, the global financial crisis, and pandemics. We have been able to not only withstand one test after another, but even turn crises into opportunities. The Taiwanese economy has emerged from these crises stronger and more resilient than ever. As we face this latest challenge, the government and civil society will work hand in hand, and I hope that all parties in the legislature, both ruling and opposition, will support the measures that the Executive Yuan will take to open up a broader path for Taiwan’s economy. Let us join together and give it our all. Thank you.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New England Senators Demand Answers on Reports White House May Eliminate Regional FEMA Office

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) joined all ten of their Senate colleagues representing New England states in seeking answers about reports that the Trump Administration is considering eliminating certain Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regional offices, including the Region 1 office that serves Rhode Island.  
    In a bipartisan letter, the twelve U.S. Senators urged President Trump to reject any attempt to downsize or eliminate FEMA offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve. 
    FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.  The regional offices coordinate immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitate the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England.  These offices also help communities mitigate the impact of future extreme weather events, and help homeowners, farms, and businesses stay safe before a storm or disaster hits.
    “We sincerely hope these reports are untrue and that you will reject any attempt to consolidate FEMA regional offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve,” wrote the 12 U.S. Senators. “As you know, FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. It coordinates immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitates the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England.”
    President Trump previously said he was considering getting rid of FEMA and his U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, the cabinet official who oversees FEMA, reportedly called for eliminating FEMA.  Senators Reed and Whitehouse say such a move would make it harder for Rhode Island to effectively respond to and recover from major emergencies and natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, blizzards, wildfires, and more.
    In addition to Reed and Whitehouse the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Angus King (I-ME), Peter Welch (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Ed Markey (D-MA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).
    Over the past decade, FEMA has responded to nearly 1,400 disasters nationwide, including hurricanes, floods, and severe weather. The agency coordinates the federal response during emergency situations, such as calling the U.S. Department of Defense to assist with rescue helicopters or trucking in generators in the aftermath of a storm.  FEMA also helps state and local communities with recovery operations, including damage assessment and distribution of federal funds to help rebuild.  Over the last four years, FEMA has provided over $145 billion nationwide to individuals, states, and local governments and some nonprofits to help with recovery efforts.
    Full text of the letter follows:
    Dear President Trump, 
    We write regarding reports that the White House is considering a proposal to eliminate Region 1 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). We sincerely hope these reports are untrue and that you will reject any attempt to consolidate FEMA regional offices, which would take critical personnel farther away from the communities they serve. 
    As you know, FEMA Region 1 serves state, local, and tribal governments in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode Island. It coordinates immediate response efforts when disaster strikes and, once the storm has passed, facilitates the deployment of federal assistance to support long-term recovery across New England. 
    In recent years, New England has been struck by several natural disasters resulting in tragic loss of life and billions of dollars in property and infrastructure damage. Through their partnership in our states’ recovery efforts, FEMA Region 1 personnel have developed an intimate familiarity with our state, local, and tribal government counterparts and with the unique attributes that differentiate New England from the rest of the country. Any attempt to shutter Region 1 or subsume it into a larger entity will squander that expertise, gained over years of experience navigating increasingly frequent disasters in the region, and materially degrade service in our states. 
    FEMA regional offices provide critical, on-the-ground assistance to disaster-affected communities. They offer the resources and expertise many communities lack. FEMA must be improved to benefit recovering communities, but regional office consolidations will leave state, local, and tribal governments stranded when disaster strikes, and make federal disaster assistance less effective in the long term. In the wake of a disaster, our communities should not be forced to navigate critical federal disaster assistance programs with only the limited counsel of staff far removed from conditions on the ground. 
    We respectfully request a prompt response regarding the veracity of reports that your Administration is considering eliminating FEMA Region 1 and, if such reports are true, urge you to reject this deeply misguided proposal.
    Sincerely,  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 9th, 2025 Heinrich Introduces Legislation to Save Lives, Protect Communities from Gun Violence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    Heinrich’s GOSAFE Act and BUMP Act would protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced his Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act and bipartisan Banning Unlawful Machinegun Parts (BUMP) Act, commonsense legislation designed to protect communities from gun violence, while safeguarding Americans’ constitutional right to own a firearm for legitimate self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes.
    “For too long, Congress has failed to stem the onslaught of mass shootings. Our work in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was critically important, but more must be done,” said Heinrich. “I’m introducing my GOSAFE and BUMP Acts to deliver on that unfinished work to save lives and make our communities safer. As a sportsman and gun owner, I’m committed to upholding the laws that protect responsible gun ownership, but we must do more to prevent deadly weapons from reaching those who are all too ready to turn them against our communities.”
    The GOSAFE Act seeks to regulate firearms based on their inherently dangerous and unusually lethal mechanisms, as opposed to focusing on cosmetic features that manufacturers can easily modify. The GOSAFE Act is co-led by Heinrich and U.S. Senators Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz), and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.). The GOSAFE Act is led by U.S. Representative Lucy McBath in the House of Representatives.
    “We have a solemn obligation to protect our communities, and the Gas-Operated Semiautomatic Firearm Exclusion (GOSAFE) Act can reduce threats without infringing on Second Amendment rights,” said Senator King. “By limiting capacity and requiring fixed magazines, there’s an opportunity for people to escape and room to disarm the shooter — helping to prevent mass tragedies like we suffered in Lewiston in future towns and communities. This is commonsense, responsible legislation that will save lives, and I want to thank my colleagues for all their work to ensure a safer tomorrow for communities across Maine and our country.”
    “As a gun owner and a combat veteran, but also the husband of a gun violence survivor, I know firsthand the damage these weapons can cause when they end up in the wrong hands,” said Senator Kelly. “We can protect the rights of responsible gun owners and take action to keep the most lethal firearms out of the hands of those who intend to do harm. We’ve seen the consequences of inaction, let’s not wait for the next tragedy to do something about it.”
    “For more than two decades, Colorado has grieved one incident of senseless gun violence after another,” said Senator Bennet.“This common-sense gun safety bill will keep weapons of war out of the hands of the wrong people while respecting responsible gun owners. With this legislation, we are taking an important step to combat gun violence in our communities and protect children across the country.”
    “I came to Congress because of a promise I made to my late son Jordan—that I would take action in honor of victims of gun violence to prevent more families from experiencing the same tragic loss that I have,” said Representative McBath. “The GOSAFE Act is an important piece of a comprehensive legislative approach to keep lethal weapons from individuals who should not have them, while still honoring the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. Americans deserve to live their lives free from the fear of gun violence. I intend to follow through on the promise I made to my son and every victim of America’s gun violence epidemic.”
    In addition to Heinrich, King, Kelly, and Bennet, the GOSAFE Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
    For a list of endorsements of the GOSAFE Act and statements of support, click here.
    The text of the GOSAFE Act is here.
    The BUMP Act seeks to prohibit the sale of bump stocks and other devices or modifications that allow semi-automatic firearms to increase their rate of fire and effectively operate as fully automatic weapons. The BUMP Act is co-led by Heinrich and U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). The BUMP Act is led by U.S. Representatives Dina Titus (D-Nev.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) in the House of Representatives.
    “Bump stocks are designed to turn semi-automatic firearms into what are essentially fully-automatic weapons,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan legislation would prohibit the use of these dangerous devices while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans.”
    “It’s been nearly eight years since the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival massacre changed my hometown forever,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Bump stocks like the one used by the shooter have no place in our communities. I will never forget the events of October 1, 2017, and will never stop fighting to permanently ban these dangerous devices.”
    “Nearly eight years after the Harvest Festival massacre we still do not have a federal law banning these deadly devices,” said Representative Titus. “Bump stocks continue to pose a threat to innocent lives and Congress must act. Without a federal law firmly banning them, federal regulations and court rulings could allow bump stocks on our streets and in our neighborhoods, raising the risk of more mass shootings.”
    “The work to close the bump stock loophole and keep these dangerous devices out of the hands of criminals is critical to our mission of protecting communities from gun violence. This bipartisan legislation strengthens law enforcement and reinforces our commitment to safety without compromising constitutional rights,” said Representative Fitzpatrick, a former federal gun crimes prosecutor and FBI agent. “I will continue working across the aisle to advance commonsense solutions that keep our neighborhoods safe while upholding the rights of responsible gun owners. Congress can and must do both.”
    In addition to Heinrich, Collins, and Cortez Masto, the BUMP Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Angus King (I-Maine), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.).
    For a list of endorsements of the BUMP Act and statements of support, click here.
    A one-page summary of the BUMP Act is here.
    The text of the BUMP Act is here.
    The GOSAFE Act
    Regulates Sale, Transfer, & Manufacture of Gas-Operated Semi-Automatic Firearms 
    If enacted, the GOSAFE Act would regulate the sale, transfer, and manufacture of gas-operated semi-automatic weapons by: 
    Establishing a list of prohibited firearms; 
    Preventing unlawful modifications of permissible firearms; 
    Mandating that future gas-operated designs are approved before manufacture;  
    Preventing unlawful firearm self-assembly and manufacturing; and
    Prohibiting machinegun conversion devices.  
    Protects Americans’ Second Amendment Right 
    The GOSAFE Act protects Americans’ constitutional right to own a gun based on a firearm’s established use for self-defense, hunting, and sporting purposes. The bill accomplishes this by including exemptions based on ammunition capacity limitations according to a firearm’s individual class: rifle, shotgun, or handgun.  
    Capacity limitations must be “permanently fixed,” meaning firearms must be incapable of accepting detachable, high-capacity magazines that increase the number of rounds that can be fired before reloading and make reloading easier. 
    Exemptions include:  
    .22 caliber rimfire firearms, excluding any firearm that is based on an AR-15 design 
    Semi-automatic shotguns 
    Recoil-operated handguns 
    Any rifle with a permanently fixed capacity of 10 rounds or less 
    Any shotgun with a permanently fixed capacity of 10 rounds or less 
    Any handgun with a permanently fixed capacity of 15 rounds or less 
    Limits High-Capacity Ammunition Devices, Outlaws Conversion Devices
    The GOSAFE Act limits a firearm’s ability to inflict maximum harm in a short amount of time by directly regulating large capacity ammunition feeding devices.  The bill would limit the number of rounds that these devices are permitted to carry to 10 rounds of ammunition or fewer.  
    Additionally, the GOSAFE Act makes machinegun conversion devices, including bump stocks and Glock switches, unlawful. 
    Creates Voluntary Buy-Back Program
    The GOSAFE Act will protect the value of firearms already owned before enactment and prevent stockpiling of these lethal firearms and high-capacity magazines by establishing a voluntary buy-back program. The program would allow firearm owners to voluntarily turn over and receive fair compensation for non-transferrable firearms and magazines as defined by the legislation. 
    The BUMP Act
    Bans Deadly Weapons That Operate as Machineguns
    The BUMP Act bans the sale of deadly bump stocks and other devices or modifications that materially increase the rate of fire of semi-automatic firearms allowing them to operate like machine guns. 
    Specifically, the BUMP Act amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, receipt, or possession of:
    A device that is primarily designed, or redesigned, to materially increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm;
    A device, part, or combination of parts that is designed and functions to materially increase the rate of fire of a semi-automatic firearm; or
    A semi-automatic firearm that has been modified to materially increase the rate of fire of the firearm.
    Additionally, the legislation amends the Internal Revenue Code to add modified semi-automatic firearms to the list of firearms subject to regulation under the National Firearms Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Holds Bill Signing on the 340B Contract Pharmacy Protection Act

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Holds Bill Signing on the 340B Contract Pharmacy Protection Act

     

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen hosted a news conference and bill signing for LB168, the 340B Contract Pharmacy Protection Act. Calling the bill a critical part of healthcare, especially for hospitals in rural communities, Gov. Pillen expressed his appreciation for the work of senators, hospitals and others to get the legislation to his desk. 

    LB168, introduced by Senator Brian Hardin, protects the savings created by the 340B program. Passed Congress in 1992, the program was later expanded to cover additional entities. Under 340B, drug manufacturers that participate in Medicaid, sell certain outpatient drugs at discounted prices to health care providers like hospitals, clinics and federally qualified health centers – places that often care for uninsured and underinsured patients. During COVID, drug manufacturers not only disallowed discounts for medications, but they also imposed burdensome requirements, which are now prohibited through passage of the 340B Contract Pharmacy Protection Act. 

    “This is really important legislation that allows our hospitals – from the biggest to the smallest – to provide the services Nebraskans depend on,” said Gov. Pillen. “The savings from the 340B program have been a critical part of how our hospitals operate and ensures that our patients are getting great care.” 

    Sen. Hardin emphasized that without legislation securing the savings from drug costs, hospitals – both rural and urban – as well as their patients, would suffer, including his own hospital in Scottsbluff. 

    “In fact, the hospitals that are most vulnerable — probably a dozen and a half of the 58 critical access hospitals that participate in 340B — may not see it through another year if they don’t get that help because they operate at a 1.4% margin,” noted Sen. Hardin. “’I’m very thankful for everyone who has stepped forward to make sure this moves ahead. Thanks to all my fellow senators who saw this need.”

    Olivia Little, who directs the 340B program for Johnson County Hospital, explained in detail how the program has been a benefit to her hospital system and its associated clinics.

    “Our hospitals rely heavily on the 340B program to fund services that operate at a loss, like our home health program and our EMS program. While these services operate at a loss, they are vital to patients and community members caring for their loved ones.”

    Tyler Toline, president and CEO of Franciscan Healthcare in West Point noted that his healthcare system had similar challenges. 

    “We have a home health and hospice that loses many hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. We have a nursing home and an assisted living facility that are in that same boat. When you look at the dollars that we get out of the 340B program, it allows us to keep these operations and services going, which are vital to the success of our communities.”

    “Without those rural, critical care hospitals, we are going to lose population,” added Senator Mike Jacobsen, chairman of the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee, which heard and advanced the bill for debate.

    “This is another step forward in trying to preserve the hospitals that are there, so they can remain open and continue to serve Medicare and Medicaid patients, which is where a lot of these dollars go.” 

    “Staff members at our hospitals do amazing work, and I’m proud to sign this bill into law to help their efforts,” said Gov. Pillen. “This legislation will make a great deal of difference for our critical access and rural hospitals going forward.”

    Gov. Pillen Speaking Before Senators, Hospital Administrators, and Guests

    Governor Pillen Flanked by Senator Mike Jacobson (Left) and Senator Brian Hardin (Right) Showing the Signed Bill

    Senator Brian Hardin Speaking on His Bill, the 340B Contract Pharmacy Protection Act

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: REPS. LAUREN BOEBERT AND TOM TIFFANY’S GRAY WOLF BILL PASSES THROUGH HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON D.C.– The Pet and Livestock Protection Act (PALPA) introduced by Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) and Congressman Tom Tiffany (WI-07) passed through the House Natural Resources Committee today, a major milestone for this legislation’s path to President Trump’s desk. The House Natural Resources Committee voted 24-17 to advance the bill to the House floor.

    The bill delists the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List, prioritizes the safety and success of America’s agriculture community, removes the ability of progressive, activist judges to get in the way of science and allows states to set their own rules and regulations for managing their gray wolf population. 

    “I’m very excited to see PALPA take another step towards being signed into law, which will be a huge victory for our ranchers, farmers, and landowners in Colorado and across America,”said Congresswoman Boebert. “The science has been very clear on this topic for years: gray wolves are fully recovered and their comeback should be touted as a success story. Now it’s time we encourage states to set their own guidelines and allow ranchers, farmers, and landowners to protect their livelihoods. I look forward to voting for this bill on the House floor and ultimately getting it to President Trump for his signature.”

    “The damage to pets, livestock, and wildlife from an unmanaged wolf population can no longer be ignored. The gray wolf has exceeded federal and state recovery goals, with over 1,000 wolves now thriving in Wisconsin. It’s time to take the next step, delist them, and let the people closest to the gray wolf manage their population levels.” said Congressman Tiffany.

    “The Endangered Species Act was never meant to be a Hotel California where species check in but never leave. Congresswoman Boebert and Congressman Tiffany’s Pet and Livestock Protection Act will allow the recovered gray wolf to check out and return management to the states who know the species best. I thank Ms. Boebert and Mr. Tiffany for their work on this important issue,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04).

    “The Colorado Wool Growers Association greatly appreciates Congresswoman Boebert and Congressman Tiffany’s leadership on the efforts to delist the gray wolf,” said Bonnie Eddy, Executive Director of the Colorado Wool Growers Association. “With over 2,000 wolves on the landscape in the western United States, the species has been biologically recovered for years.  Unfortunately, ESA species are often used to restrict land use and control habitat.  Delisting will give farmers, ranchers, and agencies much needed flexibility to manage depredating wolves that kill livestock and to manage the negative impacts to our big game herds.”

    “Hunter Nation salutes the House Natural Resources Committee for voting the ‘Pet and Livestock Protection Act’ out of committee, and thanks Congressman Tom Tiffany and Congresswoman Lauren Boebert for their unwavering support of hunters and our hunting lifestyle,” said Keith Mark, President/Founder of Hunter Nation. “The delisting of the gray wolf is a policy change we have been fighting for since our founding. The recovery of the gray wolf is an incredible conservation success story that should be celebrated. This legislation allows each state to manage the now recovered wolf population just as they manage all other wildlife within the state. The best part of this legislation is the provision that prevents judicial review of the legislative action which will preclude anti-hunting groups from using activist judges to interfere with sound, science-based conservation.”

    “Colorado’s Western Slope has the second largest deposit of natural gas in the world, and wolves on the landscape will put drilling and investing at a full stop–you can open up all the leases and it won’t make a difference if wolves aren’t delisted and dealt with. Energy producers need this bill to pass, or they’ll just pack up and leave the wolves and Colorado’s economy behind,” said Mike Clark, Chairman of the Colorado Conservation Alliance. 

    Congresswoman Boebert’s opening statement from today’s Committee hearing can be found HERE.

    Additional Reading:

    9News: Wolf from Great Lakes dies in Elbert County, Colorado

    USA Today: Colorado Gray Wolf killed after attacking 5 sheep in Wyoming

    The Gazette: Wolves from Canada Arrive in Colorado, Destination Unknown

    Colorado Sun: Ranchers hit Colorado with $580,000 in wolf depredation claims after gray wolf attacks on livestock

    Background:

    The Pet and Livestock Protection Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the 2020 Department of the Interior final rule that delisted gray wolves in the lower 48 United States. It also ensures this rule cannot be overturned through judicial review, preventing activist judges, like the California judge who vacated the rule in 2022, from relisting the gray wolf by judicial fiat.

    In 2020, the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under President Trump delisted the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States through a process that included the best science and data available. At over 6,000 wolves at the time of delisting, the gray wolf has been the latest Endangered Species Act (ESA) success story with significant population recoveries in the Rocky Mountains and western Great Lakes regions.

    Despite clear evidence of recovery, a California judge overturned the rule in 2022, relisting the gray wolf under the ESA. In Colorado, foreign gray wolves have been imported in from Canada despite strong pushback from local stakeholders and confusion about how to fund wolf depredation claims.

    32 Members of Congress cosponsored the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, including: Reps. Nick Begich (AK-At-Large), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Jeff Crank (CO-05), Eli Crane (AZ-02), Troy Downing (MT-02), Tom Emmer (MN-06), Gabe Evans (CO-08), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), Harriet Hagemann (WY-At-Large), Andy Harris (MD-01), Jeff Hurd (CO-03), Richard Hudson (NC-09), Mike Kennedy (UT-03), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Max Miller (OH-07), John Moolenaar (MI-02), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Andy Ogles (TN-05), Scott Perry (PA-10), Bryan Steil (WI-01), Pete Stauber (MN-08), Derrick Van Orden (WI-03), and Tony Wied (WI-08).

    Stakeholders that support the Pet and Livestock Protection Act include: American Farm Bureau Federation, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), Public Lands Council (PLC), National Rifle Association (NRA), Safari Club International (SCI), Hunter Nation, International Order of T. Roosevelt (IOTR), Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Mule Deer Foundation, Blacktail Deer Foundation, Colorado Farm Bureau, Colorado Conservation Alliance, Colorado Wool Growers, New Mexico Cattle Growers, Mesa County, CO, Minnesota Lamb & Wool Producers Association, Coalition of Arizona/New Mexico Counties, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, Nebraska Cattlemen, and Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Applauds Trump Administration’s Bold Step to Expand Nuclear Energy and Secure America’s Energy Future

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    April 9, 2025

    Washington, D.C. —  U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) released the following statement praising the Trump administration’s decisive action to fulfill its promise to secure America’s energy independence through the expansion of nuclear power. The Department of Energy’s commitments to provide high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to five U.S. nuclear developers is an important step in restoring our energy security and advancing our technological leadership.

    “President Trump’s game-changing nuclear initiative is exactly the kind of forward thinking that will propel Wyoming and American energy and address our needs,” said Lummis. “By securing our domestic HALEU supply, we are not just powering America’s future, we are reclaiming our technological leadership and creating prosperity that will benefit Wyoming and the entire nation for decades to come.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Statement on Paul Atkins SEC Confirmation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    April 9, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) celebrated the confirmation of Paul Atkins to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). President Trump nominated Paul Atkins in December 2024 to replace current SEC Chair Gary Gensler. 

    “I am pleased that the U.S. Senate has confirmed Paul Atkins to be the next Chairman of the SEC,” said Lummis. “After President Trump nominated him in December, I sat down with Mr. Atkins to discuss important issues, including digital asset legislation, empowering Wyoming’s blockchain future, and implementing much-needed reforms to the regulatory rulemaking process. I’m confident that his leadership at the SEC will bring positive changes in these areas.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Statement on Brian Nesvik’s USFWS Nomination Clearing EPW Committee

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis

    April 9, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) congratulated Wyoming’s own Brian Nesvik after the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) voted to support his nomination to serve as Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). He will next be considered by the full Senate for a confirmation vote.

    “Brian Nesvik will do an amazing job leading the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Lummis. “As the committee saw today, Brian has an impressive track record in Wyoming, working with federal, state, and local partners to achieve goals in a collaborative fashion. I’m pleased to see his nomination move quickly out of Senate EPW and I urge my colleagues to swiftly confirm Brian as the next Director of the USFWS.”

    Senator Lummis spoke in support Brian Nesvik’s nomination today during the EPW Committee hearing. Watch it here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Mining Sector – Greens deliberately misunderstand coal – Straterra

    Source: Straterra Inc

    It is disappointing to see the Green Party continuing to demonise coal and deliberately misunderstanding its role in ensuring the lights stay on, there is food on the table, and steel to build with, says Straterra chief executive Josie Vidal.
    “The Crown Minerals (Prohibition on Coal Mining) Amendment Bill of Green MP Hon Julie Anne Genter, which has been drawn from the members’ bill ballot, is nonsense,” Vidal says. “Very few member’s bills make it into law.
    “New Zealand is reliant on coal for the foreseeable future and we can mine it in a sustainable way, taking into account very many environmental considerations, as we do in New Zealand.
    “Renewable energy relies on the sun shining, the wind blowing and the rain falling. When that doesn’t happen, coal is there as a backup to ensure the lights stay on and businesses can keep running.
    “There is a risk to energy security without coal and this was realised in winter last year. Due to supply constraints, extremely high electricity prices saw manufacturing plants close, both temporarily and permanently, and put pressure on ordinary New Zealanders who are already struggling with the cost of living. We have been assured this won’t happen again and energy companies have been stockpiling coal for this winter.
    “Domestically, coal is used in steel making; cement and lime manufacture; food processing including milk powder and other dairy products; heating commercial hothouses; processing timber, wool and leather; and heating commercial and public facilities including schools, universities and hospitals. If coal producers are forced to close down before users have access to affordable, accessible, and reliable alternatives, then the economy is put at risk.
    “An estimated 2.5 million tonnes of coal are mined annually in New Zealand for both domestic use and for export, all from open cast mines. We export primarily to Japan, South Korea, China, and India, but also Canada, Saudi Arabia and Australia, and export markets are strong.
    “New Zealand coal has highly sought-after properties, such as low sulphur and ash content, and superior swelling properties for use in blast furnaces. This coal is exported to steel makers in Japan, India, Korea, and Australia. At this stage, coal remains essential to steel production. That is why it has been declared a critical mineral.
    “The reality is the world still needs coal and is still using coal. It is up to the market to determine how long coal is used for,” Vidal says.
    Straterra is the industry association representing New Zealand’s minerals and mining sector. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Brazil

    Source:

    We continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Brazil due to the threat of violent crime. From 10 April, you’ll need a visa to enter Brazil. Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice (see ‘Travel’).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Photo & Video Chronology — April 9, 2025 — More views of Kīlauea episode 17

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Photo & Video Chronology — April 9, 2025 — More views of Kīlauea episode 17

    Episode 17 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended at 9:45 a.m. HST on April 9 when low fountaining at the south vent stopped. Fountains from the south vent sustained heights of 50-200 feet (15-60 meters). Overall, episode 17 lasted 35.5 hours.

    This video shows clips from a helicopter overflight and a field visit by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists to the crater rim to observe the lava fountaining in episode 17 of the ongoing summit eruption of Kīlauea. The lava fountaining was producing a towering outgassing plume above the summit, and was supplying lava into a swiftly flowing channel carried lava east across the Halema‘uma‘u crater floor. USGS video by M. Patrick and C. Gansecki.
    This reference map depicts the Kīlauea summit eruption within Halema‘uma‘u crater that began on December 23, 2024. As of this posting on April 9, the eruption has had seventeen episodes, with the most recent concluding earlier this morning. However, most of the map data included here were collected during a Hawaiian Volcano Observatory helicopter overflight on April 2, immediately following episode 16; for this reason, the provided statistics only reflect the first sixteen episodes of the eruption. Additionally, the collected data were insufficient to calculate the total lava volume for the eruption at that time.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall and Colleagues Introduce Bill to Protect Family Farms and Consumers from Burdensome Government Overreach

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) introduced the Food Security and Farm Protection Act alongside colleagues on the Senate Agriculture Committee, which prohibits any state or local government from interfering with commerce and agricultural practices in another state outside their jurisdiction.
    This legislation was introduced in response to California’s Proposition 12, also known as the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative. This law sets minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs, and veal calves, and prohibits the sale of products from animals raised in California or out-of-state that do not meet these standards.
    “The United States is constantly faced with non-tariff trade barriers from protectionist countries, which hurts American agriculture’s access to new markets. The last thing we need is for states like California imposing its will on ag-heavy states like Kansas with regulations that will also restrict our ability to trade among the states,” said Senator Marshall. “Midwest farmers and ranchers who produce our nation’s food supply should not be hamstrung by coastal activist agendas that dictate production standards from hundreds of miles away, and I am proud to support this legislation that gives Kansas agriculture producers the freedom to produce safe, affordable food for all.”
    The Food Security and Farm Protection Act is co-led by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
    “Proposition 12 is dangerous and arbitrary overregulation that stands in direct opposition to the livelihoods of Iowa pork producers, increases costs for both farmers and consumers, and jeopardizes our nation’s food security,” said Senator Ernst. “I’m proud to be leading the charge to strike down this harmful measure and will keep fighting to make sure the voices of the farmers and experts who know best – not liberal California activists – are heard.”
    “California’s Proposition 12, along with Massachusetts’ Question 3, are based on arbitrary, nonsensical standards and have resulted in a harmful patchwork of regulations across the 50 states,” said Senator Grassley. “They’re a threat to Iowa, which leads the nation in pork production, and to farmers and consumers across this country. Consistent with its authorities under the Commerce Clause, it’s time for Congress to solve this problem by passing legislation. Our bill will end California’s war on breakfast and make sure delicious Iowa pork can be sold everywhere.”
    Click HERE to read the full bill text.
    Background

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Rosen Lead Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration Reverse Course on Tariffs, Provide Relief for Small Businesses

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Tariffs that Will Hurt WA State Businesses, Agriculture & Economy, Raise Costs on Everyone

    ICYMI: Senator Murray, Commerce Director Nguyễn, WA Businesses and Agriculture Respond to Trump Tariffs Raising Costs on Americans, Tanking Economy

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and 11 of their Senate colleagues in a letter demanding that Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and President Donald Trump immediately reverse course on the sweeping tariffs that are devastating small businesses in Washington state and across the nation. In the letter, the senators emphasized how these new taxes on imported goods are raising prices for hardworking Americans and creating additional challenges for small businesses at a time when high costs are already making it difficult for them to operate. 

    In addition to Senators Murray and Rosen, this letter was signed by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Peter Welch (D-VT), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).

    “At a time when our nation is experiencing an unprecedented affordability crisis, President Trump’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs on goods from virtually every country in the world will send a chill through small businesses across the country,” wrote the senators. “Given this, we urge you to work with the President to immediately reverse course on these broad-based tariffs to end the needless suffering this administration has imposed on small businesses across the country.”

    “With small businesses already being crushed under the weight of high costs and interest rates, we must do all we can to cut red tape and help them thrive – not create additional affordability challenges and uncertainty,” they continued. “To that end, we respectfully ask that you work with the President to reverse course on the 10 percent tariffs on all countries, as well as the exorbitantly high reciprocal tariffs placed on others. Failure to do so will raise costs, rob our small businesses of the certainty they rely on and undermine the economic security of small businesses across the country.”

    The full letter can be found HERE.

    Washington state has one of the most trade-dependent economies of any state in the country, with 40 percent of jobs tied to international commerce and approximately $60 billion in annual exports. Washington is the top U.S. producer of apples, blueberries, hops, pears, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries—all of which risk losing vital export markets due to retaliatory tariffs from key trading partners including Canada. Additionally, more than 12,000 small and medium-sized companies in Washington state export goods and will struggle to absorb the impact of retaliatory tariffs. Trump’s tariffs during his first term were extremely costly for Washington state—as one example, India imposed a 20 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. apples, causing Washington apple shipments to India to fall by 99 percent and growers to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Patty Murray, Tina Smith, Elizabeth Warren Reintroduce Bill to Strengthen Federal Funding for Birth Control, Reproductive Health Care Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Senator Murray Statement on Trump Plans to Freeze Tens of Millions in Title X Family Planning Funds for Planned Parenthood, Other Organizations

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Tina Smith (D-MN), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) reintroduced the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act, a bill that would safeguard funding for Title X – the country’s only federal program dedicated to providing family planning and preventive health services, including birth control, cancer screenings, testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and reproductive health care – following attacks on the program by the Trump Administration last week. Title X clinics serve 4 million people annually, and in 2023 alone, more than 1.5 million visits to Planned Parenthood health centers were made possible by the program. The bill is co-led in the House of Representatives by Representative Sharice Davids (D, KS-03), Judy Chu (D, CA-28) and Dina Titus (D, NV-01).

    “For more than 50 years, Title X funding has helped women across the U.S. get cancer screenings, contraception, pregnancy tests, STI treatment, and so many other services that are critical to helping women—especially women with the tightest budgets—stay healthy and plan their futures,” said Senator Murray. “I’m proud to co-lead the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act—this legislation would give Title X reliable annual funding to provide reproductive health care to more people, meeting a growing need for these vital services. As the Trump administration does everything they can to attack Title X and rip away women’s ability to receive basic health care, Democrats will keep fighting back to protect a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body and her future.”

    “We are at a time when Americans’ reproductive freedoms are under attack from extremist Republicans – which makes the Title X Family Planning Program more important than ever,” said Senator Smith. “Title X funding provides American women with access to critical reproductive health services. I invite my Republican colleagues who claim to champion family planning services to join us in supporting this commonsense legislation that will protect women’s access to life-saving services and birth control, pregnancy counseling, infertility services, and more.”

    “The Title X program saves lives by making sure people have access to affordable cancer screenings, STI testing, birth control, and pregnancy tests,” said Senator Warren. “While the Trump administration puts women’s health at risk, Democrats are fighting back.”

    The Expanding Access to Family Planning Act is even more crucial as the Trump Administration recently froze millions of dollars in already-appropriated Title X funding, impacting 16 organizations across several states. Planned Parenthood affiliates have lost access to as much as $3 million annually — resources they rely on to serve tens of thousands of patients each year. According to the Guttmacher Institute, the freeze could impact access to care for up to 1.25 million people, many of whom are low-income, people of color, or live in medically underserved communities.

    “In Kansas and across the country, people are being turned away from the only places they can afford to get basic, lifesaving reproductive care — all because the Trump Administration is playing politics with their health,” said Representative Davids. “This bill protects trusted providers and ensures access to cancer screenings, birth control, and STI testing, no matter your income, where you live, or how you vote.”

    “The Trump Administration is denying women across Nevada and the U.S. the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and their families’ futures,” said Representative Titus. “By fully funding family planning services, we can protect their rights to access lifesaving preventive care, birth control, and other reproductive health services at a time when these freedoms are under constant attack.”

    Specifically, The Expanding Access to Family Planning Act would:

    • Guarantee stable, annual funding for Title X
      • $512 million annually for 10 years, addressing the current funding shortfall and ensuring access to essential services.
      • $50 million in mandatory funding for clinic construction, renovations, and infrastructure improvements.
    • Protect providers like Planned Parenthoodfrom being excluded, as seen under the Trump Administration’s so-called “domestic gag rule.”
      • Reinstate regulations prohibiting discrimination against providers who offer Title X services, ensuring continuity of care for patients.
    • Provide information related to prenatal care, delivery, infant care, foster care, adoption, and pregnancy termination — unless a patient opts out of receiving information on certain options.

    Senator Murray has consistently fought to strengthen and preserve the Title X program, and was a vocal critic of the first Trump Administration’s Title X gag rule and countless other efforts to undermine reproductive health care. Early in 2019, Senator Murray released a memo highlighting some of the negative impacts of the rule and comments from patients, providers, city and county officials, and religious organizations submitted in opposition. Senator Murray is also a longtime leader in the fight to protect and expand access to reproductive health care and abortion rights, and she has led Congressional efforts to fight back after the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Murray has introduced more than a dozen pieces of legislation to protect reproductive rights from further attacks, protect providers, and help ensure women get the care they need; Murray has led efforts to push for passage of these bills on the floor multiple times. Murray also led her colleagues in raising the alarm about the threat a second Trump administration poses to reproductive rights and abortion access in every state, as outlined in Project 2025.

    The full text of the Expanding Access to Family Planning Act is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Capito, Colleagues Press Administration on Recent FAA System Outages

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), along with Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Representatives Pete Stauber (R-MN) and Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) are pressing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for information regarding the recent Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system outages and the status of past-due upgrades to the system.

    “We write to you to request information on the recent temporary outages of the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as well as an update on efforts to modernize the system,” said the lawmakers. “Pilots rely on the NOTAM system to remain aware of safety hazards on flight routes. This system is critical to the safety of the nearly 3 million passengers who fly over the U.S. every day.”

    In 2023, Klobuchar, Moran, Capito, Stauber, and DeSaulnier’s bipartisan legislation to help prevent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system outages was signed into law. The NOTAM Improvement Act requires the FAA to establish a task force to strengthen the resiliency and cybersecurity of the NOTAM system, which alerts pilots of safety and location hazards on flight routes. The law now required the FAA to upgrade the NOTAM system and create a backup system by September 2024. While the backup system was put in place in July 2024, the required upgrade of the primary system has not yet been completed.

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear Acting Administrator Rocheleau: 

    We write to you to request information on the recent temporary outages of the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) system as well as an update on efforts to modernize the system. 

    Pilots rely on the NOTAM system to remain aware of safety hazards on flight routes. This system is critical to the safety of the nearly 3 million passengers who fly over the U.S. every day. That’s why, following the 2023 outage that led to 1,300 cancelled flights and nearly 10,000 delays, Congress passed our legislation, the NOTAM Improvement Act, to require the FAA to implement a modernized NOTAM system and backup system by September 30, 2024. 

    As you know, the primary NOTAM system experienced outages for several hours on February 1 and March 22. While we are pleased that the backup system is in place as of July 2024 and was successfully activated during that outage, we are concerned about the past due implementation of a modernized NOTAM system, as required by law.

    To better understand the recent outages and FAA’s progress toward implementing an upgraded NOTAM system, we request the following information: 

    1. What caused the recent NOTAM outages? What steps is the FAA taking to mitigate future outages? 

    1. How quickly was the backup system activated during the outages? How effective was the backup system, including its performance in comparison to the primary system? 

    1. Please provide an update on the FAA’s implementation of the NOTAM Improvement Act, particularly the status of efforts to implement an upgraded NOTAM system. 

    Travelers deserve flights that are safe and on time. We urge you to ensure that a modernized NOTAM system is implemented in a timely manner. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: (WIP) FPIC in focus: implications of a recent Canadian Federal Court Decision for Australian stakeholders

    Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

    Exploring the ‘gold standard’ in Indigenous engagement 4 min read

    The principle of ‘free, prior and informed consent’ (FPIC) is recognised as a ‘gold standard’ for engaging with First Nations communities in the context of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.

    FPIC is encompassed in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which, although ratified by Australia, has not yet been incorporated into domestic law. FPIC is prominent as a consideration for project proponents consulting with First Nations stakeholders in relation to native title approvals for project development, and protection of cultural heritage. Notably, in its current review of the future act regime under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) is examining whether the future acts regime adequately reflects internationally recognised principles of human rights, including FPIC.1

    In this Insight, we consider a recent Canadian decision on FPIC and explore its potential impact on FPIC considerations in Australia.

    Status of UNDRIP in Canada

    In contrast to Australia, Canada has incorporated UNDRIP into its domestic law. As one of the first countries to enact domestic legislation implementing UNDRIP through the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (S.C. 2021, c. 14) (UNDA), Canada has been at the forefront of developments in Indigenous rights and consultation.

    In Kebaowek First Nation v Canadian Nuclear Laboratories 2025 FC 319, the Federal Court of Canada recently provided clarification on the application of the UNDRIP and FPIC in Canadian law. This decision has the potential to influence how FPIC is approached by other countries, including Australia.

    Background

    Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Ltd (CNL) sought to amend its operating licence for the Chalk River Laboratories site to modernise its nuclear waste disposal facility. The site is situated in Kebaowek First Nation’s traditional territory.

    In January 2024, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission granted CNL’s application. Kebaowek First Nation challenged this decision, including on the ground that the Commission (as an agent of the Crown) failed to consider UNDRIP’s implications in relation to the duty to consult and accommodate the Indigenous owners.

    The court’s decision

    Federal Court Justice Blackhawk agreed with the Kebaowek First Nation, finding that the Commission’s failure to consider the UNDRIP as an important contextual factor in assessing the adequacy of Crown consultation was an error of law.2 The court emphasised that with Canada’s enactment of UNDA, UNDRIP now serves as an interpretative lens in determining whether the relevant duty to consult and accommodate had been discharged.3

    Importantly, having considered international scholarship, Justice Blackhawk held that FPIC does not grant a substantive veto right. While FPIC mandates a robust process, this does not extend to a right to a particular outcome.4

    The court found that the consultation necessary to give effect to FPIC does, however, place ‘a heightened emphasis on the need for a deep level of consultation and negotiations geared toward a mutually accepted arrangement’5 and requires ‘significant robust processes tailored to consider the impacted Indigenous Nations laws, knowledge and practices’.6

    Concerning CNL’s application, the Court found it would have been consistent with the FPIC standard for the Commission to modify the consultation process to address some of the Kebaowek’s suggestions.7

    The Court quashed the decision and remitted the matter back to the Commission.

    Implications for the Australian context

    The Canadian Federal Court decision clearly articulates that FPIC under UNDRIP necessitates a deep level of consultation with First Nations peoples, but does not extend to a power of veto. This is contrary to the views of some commentators, First Nations peoples and NGOs on UNDRIP, particularly in the context of Article 29.2, which concerns the storage or disposal of hazardous waste (which was of particular relevance in the Keboawek case). Notwithstanding the divergence in views, for Australia, where ALRC discussions around implementing similar standards continue, this case provides insight into how the integration of FPIC into domestic law might be approached.

    The Issues Paper released by the ALRC in November 2024 notes that suggestions for reform of the future act regime include ‘more clearly incorporating international law principles such as FPIC in the future acts regime’.8 In light of the Keboawek case, it will be preferrable if—as part of any such integration—the parameters of FPIC are clearly delineated, such that litigation is not required for clarification.

    Stakeholders will have the opportunity to make submissions on the ALRC reforms when the Discussion Paper is released in May. The ALRC is due to provide its final report to the Attorney-General by 8 December 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Wyden, Cortez Masto, Warren Seek Watchdog Investigation of Potential Trump Administration Violations of Taxpayer Privacy Laws

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Wyden, Cortez Masto, Warren Seek Watchdog Investigation of Potential Trump Administration Violations of Taxpayer Privacy Laws

    New request for investigation comes as Treasury Secretary agrees to leak millions of protected records to DHS, multiple senior IRS officials announce intent to leave agency

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) urged the acting Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration to investigate several reports that the Trump Administration is potentially violating strict taxpayer privacy laws by providing highly sensitive and legally protected taxpayer data to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and personnel affiliated with Elon Musk across various federal agencies. The Senators’ request comes after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Homeland Security to provide an unprecedented level of access to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxpayer data for open-ended investigations.

    “Taxpayer data held by the IRS is, by design, subject to some of the strongest privacy protections under federal law, the violation of which can trigger civil and criminal sanctions, including up to five years in prison. Congress passed these protections in the 1970s after President Nixon weaponized the IRS against his political enemies. These legal protections for taxpayer data apply to all taxpayers and are an essential foundation for our tax system, which requires the voluntary submission of information to the government. Voluntary tax compliance depends on taxpayers having faith that their confidential information will not be used for anything other than tax administration,” wrote the Senators.

    The letter also follows several high-ranking IRS officials, including the acting commissioner and chief privacy officer, announcing their imminent departures from the agency.

    “Immediately following Bessent’s execution of the [agreement with DHS], several IRS leaders announced their resignations, including Acting IRS Commissioner Melanie Krause and Chief Privacy Officer Kathleen Walters, raising further questions about whether they resigned to avoid being a party to a criminal conspiracy to violate tax privacy law,” continued the Senators. 

    “The risks created by these activities cannot be overstated… [IRS] data can be inaccurate because of identity theft, keypunch errors, obsolete address information, and a wide range of other reasons. If DHS relies on the same data to deport millions of people without validating its accuracy, it is likely to end up making grave errors that impact American citizens and immigrants with valid legal status,” added the Senators.

    In addition to Padilla, Wyden, Cortez Masto, and Warren, the letter was also signed by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).  

    Last month, Senators Padilla, Cortez Masto, and Wyden condemned the IRS’ plan to provide sensitive taxpayer information to DHS to locate suspected undocumented immigrants. The Senators also led a letter to IRS and DHS leadership raising the alarm on reports that DHS and the Department of Government Efficiency illegally requested sensitive taxpayer information from the IRS.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Acting Inspector General Hill:

    We write to request an investigation into alarming reports about improper access to tax return information at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Elon Musk’s associates at the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and others, potentially violating the privacy of every taxpayer. As you know, violations of the tax privacy rules are punishable by civil and criminal penalties, including up to five years in prison.

    Following the abrupt departure of the Acting Chief Counsel and Acting IRS Commissioner on April 7, 2025, Treasury Secretary Bessent signed a memorandum of understanding that gives ICE unprecedented access to return information in an apparent attempt to weaponize the tax system against up to seven million people suspected of being undocumented immigrants. The MOU cites Internal Revenue Code section 6103(i)(2), which permits certain limited disclosures for active criminal investigations individually approved by high level officials, but there were only 30,538 disclosures for all such investigations in the U.S. in 2023 and 14,640 in 2022, raising questions about whether it would be possible for ICE to have a valid reason for obtaining information on up to seven million people.  

    Immediately following Bessent’s execution of the MOU, several IRS leaders announced their resignations, including Acting IRS Chief Counsel Melanie Krause and Chief Privacy Officer Kathleen Walters, raising further questions about whether they resigned to avoid being a party to a criminal conspiracy to violate tax privacy law.  

    DOGE has also sought access to the IRS’s most sensitive systems to create a “mega-API,” that insiders have said is an “open door controlled by Musk for all American’s [sic] most sensitive information with none of the rules that normally secure that data.” This proposed “hackathon” by Musk and third parties could result in the exporting of taxpayer data to private entities and compromise the privacy of millions of Americans. DOGE has also requested an “omnibus” agreement with federal agencies that would allow a broad swath of federal officials to cross-reference benefits rolls with taxpayer data.

    Finally, Treasury and IRS are requiring IRS employees, including employees in service centers who do not have a government-issued computer, to send emails listing five things they did each week to an external email address at OPM without any pre-screening to ensure no return information is included. Agencies are permitted to opt out of this requirement, but the IRS has not.

    The risks created by these activities cannot be overstated. The data in IRS systems cannot necessarily be relied upon for non-tax purposes. The IRS suspends the processing of millions of returns each year and flags millions of others for follow-up because the information in its files does not match what is on the taxpayer’s return. The data can be inaccurate because of identity theft, keypunch errors, obsolete address information, and a wide range of other reasons. If DHS relies on the same data to deport millions of people without validating its accuracy, it is likely to end up making grave errors that impact American citizens and immigrants with valid legal status.

    Moreover, taxpayer data held by the IRS is, by design, subject to some of the strongest privacy protections under federal law, the violation of which can trigger civil and criminal sanctions, including up to five years in prison. Congress passed these protections in the 1970s after President Nixon weaponized the IRS against his political enemies. These legal protections for taxpayer data apply to all taxpayers and are an essential foundation for our tax system, which requires the voluntary submission of information to the government. Voluntary tax compliance depends on taxpayers having faith that their confidential information will not be used for anything other than tax administration. Otherwise, those who value their privacy are less likely to file and pay what they owe. 

    There are already projections that taxpayers are paying $500 billion less in taxes this year, which could be explained, in part, by a lack of confidence that their tax return information will be kept confidential. Experts estimate that this MOU could reduce revenue by $25 billion in 2026 and $313 billion over a ten-year period. If that trend continues, it will undermine the finances of Medicare and Social Security, which the Trump Administration is already dismantling and Elon Musk has said is a Ponzi scheme.  

    While there are procedures by which agencies can gain access to return information, they generally require a determination that the information is required in a specific case for a lawful purpose. IRS employees may not access such information without proper training, and the information cannot be transmitted to another party without proper safeguards. The administration has thus far failed to timely respond to a congressional request on March 14, 2025, for information about the legal basis for the spate of recent requests for access to return data.   

    1. Concerning DHS’s request for return information about ITIN holders, please provide:

    a. A complete unredacted copy of the MOU and any related agreements (including the separate implementation agreement referenced in the redacted MOU);

    b. Any documented concerns raised by any senior IRS officials;        

    c. Any statements received describing the intended use of the information; 

    d. Any parties, officers, or agencies to whom the requester intended to redisclose any or all of the information; and

    e. The legal basis for authorizing disclosures under this MOU; and

    f. The extent to which such disclosures would be unprecedented. 

    2. Please provide any other requests for access to taxpayer or other sensitive information the IRS received from any agency in the executive branch (including DHS, SSA, DOGE, and the Office of Personnel Management) during this administration for return or other sensitive information or access to IRS systems containing such information, which was not subject to judicial review or routinely granted during the last administration.

    3. Please also provide any requests for taxpayer or other protected information received from the President or the Executive Office of the President (EOP) during this administration, including the Office of Management and Budget, DOGE, and Elon Musk.

    4. In each instance described in #2 or #3, please explain how the requestor proposed to use the information requested, the IRS’s response to the request, and the legal basis for the IRS’s response.

    5. Every month until the end of this administration, please provide a copy of any new request that would fall into any of these categories and the IRS’s response.

    6. Please also provide a list of all non-IRS employee(s) currently detailed to, or working with, the IRS as part of DOGE or its affiliates and provide a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding(s) allowing them to do so. 

    7. Every month until the end of this administration, provide an update on any modifications to any of the agreements referenced above to share return information.

    8. Please provide an analysis of the risk that the “5-things” emails IRS employees are required to send to OPM contain information protected by section 6103 or protected by other provisions (e.g., the Privacy Act).

    9. Please provide an estimate of the number of 6103 or other statutory violations the management of the IRS and Treasury are allowing to occur by requiring 5-things emails to OPM.

    10. Please provide information about the nature and scope of the “mega API” and “hackathon” activity, which was reported in the press, including what sensitive data the vendor has access to, how the contract for services was negotiated, and whether there were any violations of federal contracting regulations.

    11. Please provide an estimate of the percentage of individuals who have been given access to return or other sensitive information for the first time during this administration without first completing all of the training that IRS employees are required to take before having such access. Please provide a list of their titles.

    12. To the extent new individuals or agencies have been granted access to return or other sensitive information during this administration, please estimate the percentage who did not properly secure and safeguard such information as required. Please provide a list of any agencies and the titles of any individuals. 

    13. To the extent that improper access or disclosures of return or other sensitive information have occurred during this administration, please describe the circumstances of the disclosure, provide an estimate of the number of taxpayers affected, and whether they have been notified that their information has been improperly accessed or disclosed. 

    Please provide us with this information as soon as it is available, provide us with a briefing by May 8, 2025, and complete this work by September 30, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Padilla-Cosponsored Legislation to Improve Aerial Firefighting Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Senate Passes Padilla-Cosponsored Legislation to Improve Aerial Firefighting Efforts

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Wildfire Caucus, announced that the Senate passed bipartisan legislation he is cosponsoring to strengthen the aerial wildfire suppression fleet and better combat the year-round threat of catastrophic wildfires. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025 reauthorizes the Secretary of Defense’s authority to sell excess Department of Defense aircraft and aircraft parts to persons or entities that contract with the government to help deliver fire retardant or water used to suppress wildfires.

    Senators Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) are leading the bill, and Padilla and Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), James Risch (R-Idaho), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) are cosponsoring the legislation. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act now awaits House passage.

    “As catastrophic wildfires devastate communities across the country, we need to be smarter and more resourceful in our approach to wildfire suppression,” said Senator Padilla. “Californians saw firsthand the power of our aerial wildfire suppression fleet in putting out the Los Angeles fires as quickly as possible. Shoring up aerial firefighting fleets by allowing the Department of Defense to sell excess aircraft parts is a lifesaving, commonsense priority — and I’m glad to see the Senate come together to unanimously pass this bipartisan legislation.”

    “It’s only April, and this year has already seen the most dangerous and expensive wildfire season in history. It’s clear our government must do more to give wildland firefighters the tools they need to protect communities and save lives. The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act supports that mission by eliminating bureaucratic obstacles to provide our aerial wildfire suppression fleet the resources necessary to fight wildfires quickly and aggressively. I’m grateful to my colleagues for their support of this bipartisan legislation, and I will continue to use the full power of my office to support the brave first responders on the front lines fighting wildfires across the country,” said Senator Sheehy.

    “I’m pleased that my Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is one step close to becoming law,” said Senator Heinrich. “The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act is urgently needed to expand the operations of Very Large Air Tankers that have proven absolutely essential to firefighters battling large wildfires in New Mexico and across the West. I will never stop fighting to deliver the resources that our communities need to effectively respond to wildfires.”

    “In Arizona and across the West, wildfires are more frequent, more intense, and no longer confined to a single season. Our response capabilities need to reflect that new reality,” said Senator Kelly. “Strengthening our aerial firefighting fleet by making more aircraft and parts available is a smart, proven way to help firefighters respond faster and keep communities safe. I’m proud to support this effort to ensure the tools are in place to meet the growing threat, and I’ll keep working to get it done.”

    The Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act amends the Wildfire Suppression Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 to reauthorize the sale of excess aircraft and parts by the Department of Defense for wildfire suppression as long as the aircraft and parts are used only for wildfire suppression. These aircraft and parts are already acceptable for commercial sale. The initial authority for these sales expired in 2005 and was reauthorized from 2012 to 2017 before lapsing again.

    The bill would help the United States better suppress wildfires by facilitating the acquisition of military excess aircraft, sold at fair market value, for the aerial wildfire suppression fleet. Additionally, the sale of parts would help the United States maintain its existing aerial firefighting aircraft fleet.

    In the aftermath of the devastating Southern California fires, Senator Padilla has introduced more than 10 bills to help prevent and respond to future disasters. In February, Padilla introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. He also announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts, including the Wildfire Emergency Act, the Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act, and the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act. In January, Padilla introduced another suite of bipartisan bills to strengthen wildfire recovery and resilience, including the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act, the Fire Suppression and Response Funding Assurance Act, and the Disaster Housing Reform for American Families Act. Additionally, last week, he introduced the FEMA Independence Act, bipartisan legislation to restore the Federal Emergency Management Agency as an independent, cabinet-level agency and improve efficiency in federal emergency response efforts.

    A one-pager on the bill is available here.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Joins Colleagues Demanding Answers, Return of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported to El Salvador

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Joins Colleagues Demanding Answers, Return of Maryland Father Wrongfully Deported to El Salvador

    Following letter, Padilla meets with wife of wrongfully deported Maryland father to advocate for his return

    Padilla meets with Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wife following his wrongful deportation and ongoing detention in El Salvador

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, joined 24 Senators in urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father who was living legally in Maryland with his family until the Trump Administration wrongfully deported him without due process last month to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. The Administration has admitted that Abrego Garcia’s deportation was the result of an “administrative error.”

    “We write to express our concerns regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, an action which the Administration admitted in a recent court filing was an ‘administrative error,’” wrote the Senators. “It is unacceptable that anyone would be deported without proper due process, especially where an immigration judge has granted the individual protected status that explicitly prohibits his return to El Salvador. We demand that the Administration bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home immediately.”

    “Mr. Abrego Garcia is currently being held at CECOT, a maximum-security prison in El Salvador notorious for human rights abuses, after being deported in violation of the law to the very country where his return was impermissible,” continued the Senators. “And when the Administration makes a mistake as severe as sending an individual with protected status to a foreign prison, it cannot simply shrug off responsibility and allege that there is nothing it can do to reunite him with his wife and child, who are American citizens.”

    Earlier today, Padilla joined Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) to meet with Abrego Garcia’s family and wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, to discuss the ongoing effort to secure his immediate release. Padilla promised to keep fighting for Abrego Garcia so he can be reunited with his family.

    In their letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and ICE Acting Director Tedd Lyons, the Senators called on the Trump Administration to comply with the court order requiring that they facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return. On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in Maryland ordered Abrego Garcia’s return to the United States, and the Trump Administration’s ensuing motion to stay the order was denied by the Fourth Circuit on Monday. The case now remains pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

    The Senators also asked about ICE’s enforcement policies that may have led to this grave error as well as what measures they will take to ensure such an incident did not happen to others and does not occur again.

    Senator Van Hollen led the letter. In addition to Senator Padilla, Senators Alsobrooks, Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.

    Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s mass deportation agenda and anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric. Yesterday, Padilla, Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.-08), and Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.-07) issued a joint statement condemning the Supreme Court’s decision to lift a hold on removals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Padilla previously issued a joint statement with Senators Durbin, Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) slamming President Trump for his attempted invocation of the Alien Enemies Act to deport noncitizens without due process. Last year, Padilla emphasized the dangers and immense economic costs of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plans during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Secretary Noem and Acting Director Lyons,   

    We write to express our concerns regarding the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, an action which the Administration admitted in a recent court filing was an “administrative error.” It is unacceptable that anyone would be deported without proper due process, especially where an immigration judge has granted the individual protected status that explicitly prohibits his return to El Salvador. We demand that the Administration bring Mr. Abrego Garcia home immediately.  

    According to court filings, on March 12, 2025, shortly after Mr. Abrego Garcia had picked up his son from the boy’s grandmother’s house, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) stopped Mr. Abrego Garcia, inaccurately telling him that his protected status had changed. After giving his wife a few minutes to arrive to take custody of his son, ICE arrested and detained him without any further explanation as to the reason for his arrest. ICE then transferred Mr. Abrego Garcia and other detainees to Texas, where on March 15, 2025, they were loaded onto planes and deported to El Salvador. Mr. Abrego Garcia was reportedly on the only plane that was not sent under the authority of the Alien Enemies Act but instead was transporting migrants with formal removal orders signed by a judge. This occurred despite the fact that ICE knew, as the Administration conceded in court, that his protected legal status specifically prohibited his removal to El Salvador.  

    Per court filings, Mr. Abrego Garcia came to the United States in 2011 as a teenager fleeing gang threats in his home country of El Salvador. In 2019, ICE arrested Mr. Abrego Garcia over an unfounded and anonymous allegation that he was involved with MS-13, which placed him in deportation proceedings. The U.S. immigration judge in the case ultimately found that it was in fact Mr. Abrego Garcia who was at risk of being the victim of gang violence. The judge found that Mr. Abrego Garcia and his relatives credibly testified that gang members had been trying to extort his family and recruit him and his brother to join the gang, forcing his family to move multiple times, ultimately compelling both him and his brother to flee to the United States out of fear.  

    The immigration judge agreed that Mr. Abrego Garcia would likely face persecution if deported back to El Salvador and thus granted him a form of legally mandated protection known as “withholding of removal.” Withholding of removal, which may only be granted by an immigration judge, provided Mr. Abrego Garcia the ability to stay and work in the United States despite being the subject of a deportation order. This ruling was made under the Trump Administration in 2019 and was in fact required by law under section 241(b)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act once the immigration judge made the factual determination that Mr. Abrego Garcia faced a likelihood of torture in El Salvador. At the time, the Trump Administration made no effort to appeal the judge’s ruling or pursue Mr. Abrego Garcia’s deportation further. Court filings attest that Mr. Abrego Garcia has complied with regular ICE check-ins, has no criminal charges, and has had no contact with any other law-enforcement agency since his release in 2019.  

    Mr. Abrego Garcia is currently being held at CECOT, a maximum-security prison in El Salvador notorious for human rights abuses, after being deported in violation of the law to the very country where his return was impermissible. Though the Administration has admitted in court that his deportation was a mistake, it alleges that there is nothing it can do to address this injustice, given that Mr. Abrego Garcia is now in the jurisdiction of the government of El Salvador as part of an agreement to imprison U.S. deportees in exchange for financial compensation.  

    Your unwillingness to immediately rectify this “administrative error” is unacceptable. Under multiple Democratic and Republican administrations, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE followed the rule of law and worked to quickly return people who were wrongfully deported, in the rare instances where such “administrative errors” occurred. The Administration’s mass deportation agenda does not transcend immigration law or the need for due process. And when the Administration makes a mistake as severe as sending an individual with protected status to a foreign prison, it cannot simply shrug off responsibility and allege that there is nothing it can do to reunite him with his wife and child, who are American citizens. On Friday, a U.S. District Court judge in the District of Maryland ordered the government to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to the United States, and on Monday the Fourth Circuit denied the government’s motion to stay the order. The Administration should promptly comply with the district court’s order.

    To address our concerns about this matter and to provide clarity on the Department of Homeland Security and ICE’s policy regarding the immigration enforcement actions against immigrants with protected status, we ask that your Administration answer the following questions by April 22, 2025: 

    1. The standard and legal course for the government to take to deport someone with protected status would be to reopen the case, introduce evidence that grounds for terminating the protected status exist, and then allow an immigration judge to make a determination as to their status. Why was that course of action not taken in this case?  

    2. In the past, DHS and ICE worked to quickly return people to the U.S. who were erroneously deported. Why is DHS and ICE no longer following these well-established procedures and practices?   

    3. Vice President J.D. Vance and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have both claimed that Mr. Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member, but the government was unable or unwilling to provide any evidence to substantiate that claim to the court. Please provide any evidence of Mr. Abrego Garcia’s membership in MS-13.

    4. Given that the Administration is reportedly paying $6 million to El Salvador to detain deported immigrants at CECOT, why does it believe that there is nothing it can do to return Mr. Abrego Garcia to his family in the United States? Please provide a copy of the agreement between the U.S. and El Salvador on the detention of people deported from the U.S. in CECOT.

    5. Are there any other cases that the Administration is aware of in which an immigrant with protected status was illegally deported without due process? If so, identify those cases and explain what, if anything the government is doing to rectify those errors. 

    6. Will the Administration commit to reviewing all of the cases of its deportees to ensure that it has appropriately identified all of the errors? 

    7. What actions will the Administration take in the future to ensure that immigrants with protected status are afforded their appropriate due process? 

    We appreciate your prompt attention to this vital matter and look forward to reviewing your fulsome, timely response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Higgins Votes to Restrict Activist Judges

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) voted to pass H.R. 1526, the No Rogue Rulings Act, which would rein in activist judges who have overstepped their Constitutional role to block President Trump’s executive actions.
     
    The legislation limits the ability of U.S. district courts to issue nationwide injunctions, broad rulings that extend beyond the parties involved in a case.
     
    “Rogue, anti-Trump judges are a serious problem. Unelected judges have abused their authority,” said Congressman Higgins. “The No Rogue Rulings Act reins them in. We are restoring Article III parameters as envisioned by the Founders.”
     
    Read the legislation here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Estes Votes to Rein in Rogue Judges

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas)

    Rep. Estes Votes to Rein in Rogue Judges

    Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) issued the following statement after the House passed H.R. 1526 – the No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA) Act – by a vote of 219 to 213.

    “America has a system of checks and balances within our three branches of government, but rogue, activist judges whose jurisdiction covers a geographic area of our country are setting nationwide injunctions that are an abuse of power, making the judicial branch lopsided,” said Rep. Estes. “When activist judges are siding with criminals in this country illegally, it’s imperative to stand with the American people and limit the overreach of unelected judges in district courts, restoring the balance to our three branches of government and reaffirming the Supreme Court’s role as the proper venue for nationwide rulings.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Salinas Votes Against Republican Attempt to Remove Checks and Balances, Give Trump Unlimited Power

    Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) issued the following statement after voting against the so-called No Rogue Rulings Act, better known as the No Checks and Balances Act because it gives up Congress’ power to serve as a check on the executive branch:

    “With this shameful legislation, Republicans are abandoning their constitutional duty to serve as a check on the out-of-control Trump Administration. It’s part of a larger effort by the President and Republicans in Congress to attack, influence, and weaken the co-equal judiciary branch so that Trump can continue wreaking havoc on our country, stealing from hardworking families, and ripping off the American people without any oversight. The reality is that many of Trump’s executive orders are unconstitutional – and he knows it. But instead of respecting the decisions of federal judges, Trump and his Republican allies are circumventing the Constitution and the law. We have to call this what it is: an obvious power grab by a wannabe dictator. I will not stand for it, and I will continue to defend our democracy against those who seek to undermine it.” 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Speaks on Trump’s Latest Tariff Announcement: “We’ve Seen America on a Rollercoaster”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    04.09.25

    Cantwell Speaks on Trump’s Latest Tariff Announcement: “We’ve Seen America on a Rollercoaster”

    Today, Trump announced he’d roll back some tariffs to 10% while spiking his tax on Chinese goods to 125%; 25% on steel, aluminum, autos & auto parts, & other goods from Canada & Mexico remain; On Thursday, Cantwell introduced a bipartisan bill that would reassert Congress’ role in setting & overseeing U.S. trade policy

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, spoke on the Senate floor in response to President Donald Trump’s latest announcement that he would issue a 90-day pause on some tariffs while simultaneously increasing tariffs on Chinese goods.

    “While we’ve seen America on a rollercoaster the last couple of days, I think it also is a reminder that we need to continue to play this oversight role,” Sen. Cantwell said. “The best way to do that is to make sure that Congress continues to play a role in this very important policy.”

    Yesterday, she pressed United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the administration’s slapdash implementation of sweeping tariffs without input or accountability to Congress. Later that evening, she appeared on MSNBC’s All In With Chris Hayes to discuss the chaos wrought by this administration’s tariff policies: “The plan is not clear. The outcome that the President seeks is not clear,” she said.

    A video of her remarks on the floor tonight can be watched HERE; a transcript is HERE.

    Sen. Cantwell introduced a bipartisan bill on Thursday to reaffirm Congress’ key role in setting and approving U.S. trade policy, and reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs.

    READ MORE: The Wall Street Journal: Senators Move to Rein In Trump’s Power on Tariffs

    HEAR MORE: NPR: Sen. Maria Cantwell says there is bipartisan support to rein Trump’s tariffs

    WATCH MORE: Forbes: ‘I Don’t Know What You Think’: Maria Cantwell Laces Into US Trade Rep Over Trump’s Tariffs

    The bill has since picked up 12 additional cosponsors – an equal mix of Republicans and Democrats – and been endorsed by multiple major U.S. business organizations, including the National Retail Federation, which is the largest retail trade association in the world.

    In addition, a bipartisan group has introduced a companion version of Sen. Cantwell’s legislation in the House of Representatives, also cosponsored by equal numbers of Republicans and Democrats.

    The bill restores Congress’ authority and responsibility over tariffs as outlined in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution by placing the following limits on the president’s power to impose tariffs:

    • To enact a new tariff, the president must notify Congress of the imposition of (or increase in) the tariff within 48 hours.
      • The Congressional notification must include an explanation of the president’s reasoning for imposing or raising the tariff, and
      • Provide analysis of potential impact on American businesses and consumers.
    • Within 60 days, Congress must pass a joint resolution of approval on the new tariff, otherwise all new tariffs on imports expire after that deadline.
    • Under the bill, Congress has the ability to end tariffs at any time by passing a resolution of disapproval.
    • Anti-dumping and countervailing duties are excluded.

    The full bill text is available HERE.

    For the past three months, President Trump has been sowing economic chaos across the country with unpredictable and ever-changing tariff announcements. His back-and-forth announcements and actions, which have whipsawed American businesses and consumers, as well as close neighbors and allies, include:

    • On January 31 — citing punishment for failing to crack down on fentanyl trafficking — the Trump administration announced plans to impose a 25% tax on many goods imported into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tax on goods imported from China, then abruptly postponed those tariffs.
    • In February, he doubled down, announcing an additional 25% tax on all steel and aluminum imports.
    • At 12:01 a.m. ET on March 4, President Trump’s long-promised 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% tariff increase on goods from China took effect, causing stock prices in the United States to plummet.
    • Then, on March 5, he announced that automobiles from Canada and Mexico would be exempt from his tariffs for one month.
    • The morning of March 6, he announced that he would suspend the tariffs for some products from Mexico. Then, later that same afternoon, he announced he was suspending most new tariffs on products from both Mexico and Canada until April 2.
    • On March 11, Trump threatened to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum – increasing them to 50% – before reversing himself later the same day.
    • On March 13, he threatened 200% tariffs on alcoholic products from the European Union, including all wine and Champagne.
    • On March 27, he announced plans to impose a 25% tax on all imported sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, cargo vans, and light trucks, as well as some auto parts, beginning on April 2.
    • On March 29, President Trump said, “I couldn’t care less,” if automakers raise the price of cars in response to his tariffs.
    • On April 2, he announced a “National Economic Emergency,” and signed an executive order declaring a 10% minimum baseline tariff on all countries as well as additional tariffs on nearly 60 countries.
    • On April 7, he threatened to impose an additional 50% tariff on China.
    • On April 9, he announced a rollback of his April 2 tariffs down to the 10% baseline across the board, with the exception of China, which he increased to 125%.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Asks Superfund Experts About Extended Cost and Timeline of Cleanups, Examples from State and Community Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    To watch Chairman Capito’s questions, click here or the image above.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led ahearing on identifying improvements to the future management of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Superfund program. 

    In her questioning, Chairman Capito asked about particular factors that contribute to delays and increase costs of Superfund cleanups, and what actions can be taken from state and volunteer efforts to provide certainty for impacted communities. Additionally, Chairman Capito highlighted the bipartisan agreement to make meaningful improvements to the Superfund program.

    HIGHLIGHTS:

    CAUSE FOR HOLD UP: 

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO: 

    “Let me just kind of dig deeper on this remediation plan and hold up, Mr. Fox, that you’ve talked about. Is it a matter of the best strategy to cleanup a particular site? Is it arguing over the best way to do it? We’ve heard it’s not really arguing over who is going to pay for it, or is that the hold up? Or is it the science has not been done? I don’t know, point to one, or two, or three things in this process that we could change that would make this go faster.”

    ROBERT FOX:

    “There are very known ways to evaluate what the risk is at the site, and how to clean them up. Some sites are more complicated than others, but those general principles that I mentioned, about knowing who’s exposed, knowing what they’re exposed to, and eliminating those pathways – I don’t want to use the wrong term – but it’s not rocket science. We’ve been doing this for a long time. What happens is, the process is so cumbersome, the reports, the back and forth on scientific stuff. It’s not a science project where you have to study every molecule. You can get there much faster, get a remedy selected.”

    ADDITIONAL COSTS COMPARED TO STATE EFFORTS:

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO:

    “I’m assuming that you’ve done cleanups for Superfund sites, and cleanups for private or state level cleanups. So, I want to contrast those. When you when you do a cleanup, say, for a state, or maybe for a private entity, and you don’t have this cumbersome process, would you agree with Mr. Fox at some of the things that are thrown into the Superfund process – how does that work in a different, when you’re doing it for the state or for a private entity?”

    STEVEN RADEL:

    “In 2022 in Indiana, the Superfund site, if we had done that cleanup under the voluntary program of Indiana, versus how we did it under the Superfund program,

    just my consulting costs alone, and to some extent, my legal costs, probably two times more doing it on the Superfund site than if we were in that same work under a voluntary program.”

    CONCERN IN COMMUNITIES:

    CHAIRMAN CAPITO:

    “From the folks that live in and around Superfund sites, they have great economic development promise, in my view, because they are clean, it’s much easier for a developer, in some cases, to come in, because the work’s already been done. What do you see when you go into different communities, about the restlessness of, why is it taking so long, not adding the economics onto the health issues that are sometimes associated with this site. I think what we’re doing, is we’re stymieing communities from being able to have confidence that they can redevelop, or be living in a healthy community.”

    ROBERT FOX:

    “I agree with you 100%, I see it over and over again. Communities are frustrated because the potential exists for a win, win, win. Redevelopment of the site, protective of their human health and the environment, and the longer it goes on, they become distrustful. They become distrustful of EPA, they become distrustful of the private parties that are doing the work, and it feeds upon itself. Speeding up the process will get this back to productive use, and eliminate the exposure of these communities, and they will eliminate that distrust.”

    BIPARTISAN AGREEMENT:

    “I would like to say just in closing, that I think, first of all, this has been an excellent hearing because you’re all so knowledgeable on the issue, having lived it. But I think we have good, bipartisan agreement here that the system is broken. We’ve put more money in this, recently, and we want to see it result in the completion of these projects as much as you do. So, let’s work together to try and find a solution. Hopefully we can ameliorate some of the problems that have been identified today.”

    Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s questions.

    Click HERE to watch Chairman Capito’s opening statement.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lankford, Colleagues Push for Greater Health Care Access for Oklahomans, the Nation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Lankford

    WASHINGTON, DC — Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and his colleagues today introduced the Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act that would amend a ban put in place by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), once again empowering physician-owned hospitals (POHs) to expand and deliver high-quality care to Medicare and Medicaid patients, particularly in rural communities. 

    “Oklahomans and rural communities across the country need more quality health care options,” said Lankford. “This bill lifts the outdated restrictions that have blocked physician-owned hospitals from growing or opening where they’re needed most. Local physicians should be empowered to deliver high-quality, patient-focused care in rural Oklahoma.”

    “When physicians lead hospitals, patients win,” said Dr. Adam Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, chair of the Advocacy Council at the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons. “Physician-led hospitals are a powerful solution to the consolidation plaguing our healthcare system. By lifting outdated restrictions on physician ownership, we can drive down costs, improve quality, and expand access to care, especially in underserved rural areas. It’s past time to empower physicians to build healthcare institutions that prioritize patients over profits.”

    “The daily headlines are impossible to ignore,” said Physician-Led Healthcare for America (PHA) President-elect Carlos Cardenas, MD. “Healthcare costs are skyrocketing, rural hospitals are shuttering at alarming rates, and quality and patient satisfaction continue to decline. The status quo is failing us. It’s time to revitalize our healthcare system with a proven solution: physician-led hospitals.” 

    “Across the country, patients in rural communities are struggling to access essential medical care as more rural hospitals are forced to close due to the immense financial strain associated with declining reimbursements and rising medical costs,” said Bruce A. Scott, MD, President of the American Medical Association. “By allowing physicians to invest in and revitalize these hospitals, this legislation has the power to preserve and expand access to critical health care services in the communities that need them most. Physician-led hospitals are known to deliver high-quality, cost-effective care. This is a commonsense solution to a worsening problem. The AMA strongly supports this legislation and urges Congress to pass it as a vital step toward improving health care access for rural patients.”

    Lankford is joined in introducing the bill by Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), John Boozman (R-AR), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Ted Budd (R-NC). 

    Background

    POHs represent less than five percent of the 5,700 hospitals nationwide. However, POHs have a successful track record of providing individualized and innovative quality care, and they meet a growing demand for health care services, especially in rural areas. Seventy-three percent of POHs with a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) overall hospital quality star rating earned three or more stars in the program; 26 percent of them have earned five stars.

    In 2023, Sen. Lankford and Dr. Brian J. Miller published an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal about the importance of including physician-owned hospitals in the litany of quality nonprofit and community-based health care options available to Oklahomans and people around the nation.

    Senator Lankford, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, has also introduced similar legislation, the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act, many times over the past several years.  

    MIL OSI USA News –