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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Town Hall at the Pentagon

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH:  Well, good afternoon. Thank you very much for your time. 

    I want to echo what the chaplain said, All Glory to God. I wake up every morning, praying for the wisdom to see what is right and good true and the courage to do it. And I know many of you do the same.

    It is an absolute honor to stand in front of all of you. I’m grateful. I’m humbled. Just the two weeks that I’ve been here is a solemn reminder, and a couple of instances, a solemn reminder of the very special nature of what the department of the defense does.  

    And I’ve seen it in the office of OSD. I’ve seen it across so many I’ve had a chance to interact with, and so many more I want to interact with, the solemn commitment to the constitutional duty that we all have, to protect and defend the Constitution. 

    That one administration leaves and another administration comes in, and that can mean a lot of changes in the course of that based on elections that happened and new leaders and new executive orders and new directives and lawful orders. 

    But what I’ve been so incredibly impressed by, is the professionalism of the men and women throughout the ranks who recognize who we work for, which is the American people, in the defense of our nation. 

    So, I want to thank everybody watching, everybody here for a part of that, being a part of that transition, which I’ve certainly recognized a great deal. 

    I spent a lot of my career in the military, which is not as much as so many of you trying to run away from the flagpole as quick as possible.

    Now it appears I am the flagpole [laughter].

    I recognize and understand that distinction. But what I what I want to bring to this job and to the ethos, is a recognition of the men and women who do the dirty work all day long for us here, across the world.

    Every time I speak, or every time in my previous procession, profession, I was on television, and I got the bright lights and spotlight and people are looking to me, I always step back for a second to think about the men and women that I served with. 

    The folks that are never going to be introduced, never going to have a microphone. Never going to be heard from. The men and women that you know that you served with who are the best of the best in our country. That’s who we serve. 

    I was on the phone late into the night last night, talking to families of two soldiers who had a rollover at Fort Stewart. I was on the phone with the three, the families of the three that were lost in the UH60 outside of the airport here in Washington, DC.

    The costs and the consequences are very real, and you know that.

    One of the things I wasn’t prepared for is, every couple of weeks, we do an orders book at OSD where we literally approve the orders that go out. It sounds like a formality but having been on the other end of those orders where those dates really mattered and what the mission was really mattered, I stare at my orders and say, where am I going and what does it mean and how long am I there? 

    That struck me like a thud. 

    Every one of those signatures affects a human being whose mission needs to be important and vital to the national interest and to our department before I sign that book. And that’s very much my commitment to you. 

    It’s also my job to be — as President Trump asked me, to not maintain the status quo. 

    We’re going to take unconventional approaches. We’re going to move fast, think outside the box, be disruptive on purpose to create a sense of urgency that I want to make sure exists inside this department. And that’s not to impugn anybody who’s been here or anybody who’s sitting here who anybody who’s watching.

    I don’t have to tell you all that we live in very dangerous times in a world with ascendant powers who, if they had their way, would love to be on the rise and reject the forces and capabilities and beliefs of the West. 

    America is at the forefront of that. 

    And wearing the uniform here at the department, it’s our job to ensure we create the deterrent effect that maintains American dominance in the world. 

    And there’s a lot of folks, namely — and I’ve name checked it in public as well, the communist Chinese who seek through their ascension a very different view of the world. And so, we have to be urgent, and we have to be ready about what that means. And we’re going to do that. 

    A part of how we’re applying that is I’ve come in with three pillars that I’ve repeated before, but I want to say again of how we’re approaching this from my level.

    Number one is restore the warrior ethos. Make sure that we get back to basics. Our job is to deter conflict and, if necessary, defeat and completely destroy, demoralize and defeat our enemies. That’s what we do. We do war fighting here at the Department of Defense, and we want to restore that through a laser focus on readiness, lethality and warfighting across the spectrum.

    I was on with the superintendents of West Point, Annapolis in the Air Force Academy yesterday, hey, what are we doing there to drive those core principles? What are we doing here to drive those core principles from E-1 to — I guess is it O-10, I’ve never even said that. And I know this room is O-6 and below, which I was told was junior. Where I come from an O-6 ain’t junior. 

    So, this is a new role for me too in that perspective. 

    And I went out to Fort Bliss, met with — intentionally said, hey, E-7 and above and O-3 and above or O-4 and above move out. I want to hear from the folks out here on this border mission, how is it impacting you and your family? What is your mission? Are you being utilized? How does it affect — I actually think it adds to readiness and — because you’re doing a real-world mission, but how does it affect all those aspects? 

    Restoring the warrior ethos is critical, and I think we’ve seen that already in the recruiting numbers. I think we’ve seen an enthusiasm and excitement from young men and women who want to join the military actively because they are interested in being a part of the finest fighting force the world has to offer and not doing a lot of other things that serve oftentimes, too often, to divide or distract.

    It’s about readiness, it’s about staying focused, and I think you’ve seen that from a lot of the executive orders the president has issued that we have echoed. And there can be confusion about that. But from our perspective, why do you get rid of something like DEI? Because from our perspective, it’s served a purpose of dividing the force as opposed to uniting the force.

    And this is something I’ve said quite publicly, and what I want to be is transparent with this building and everyone who serves here, say the same thing in public that we say in private, which I hope you’ll find from us. 

    I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is Our Diversity is Our Strength.

    I think our strength is our unity, our strength is our shared purpose, regardless of our background, regardless of how we grew up, regardless of our gender, regardless of our race, in this department we will treat everyone equally. We will treat everyone with fairness. We will treat everyone with respect. And we will judge you as an individual by your merit and by your commitment to the team and the mission.

    That’s how it has been. That’s how it will be.

    Any inference otherwise is meant to divide or create complications that otherwise should not and do not exist. 

    I’ve served across my career with amazing men and women from all backgrounds. They were at my congressional testimony, they’ve been in my office, they work with me and for me now. Their contributions are immense to this nation and are appreciated equally as with everybody else and that’s the approach we’re going to take. So, restore the warrior ethos. 

    The second one is rebuild our military. 

    Our defense industrial base, our acquisitions process, how we rapidly field new technologies, how we learn from conflicts around the globe, how we match what we fund to capabilities and effects. There’s a lot of programs around here that we’ve spent a lot of money on that, when you actually wargame it, don’t have the impact you want them to. 

    One of the benefits I have is I don’t come from — I don’t have any special interests. I don’t have a background invested in any systems or services. I’m agnostic to that. 

    I want — that means I’m going to take a lot of arrows, and I’m prepared to do so. That’s fine. We need the best systems in the hands of warfighters where they need it, to the COCOMs to deter and send the signals that when that fight comes, we’re ready to win and win decisively. 

    That includes a Pentagon audit, which to the Marines out there, y’all got it figured out and we appreciate that, lean and mean. We are going to focus heavily to ensure that at a bare minimum by the end of four years, the Pentagon passes a clean audit. 

    The American taxpayers deserve that. They deserve to know where their $850 billion go, how it’s spent and make sure it’s spent wisely. 

    It used to be that if you called for an audit, somehow you were undermining the department. I believe the exact opposite. 

    I believe we are accountable for every dollar we spend and every dollar of waste we find, or redundancy, is a dollar we can invest somewhere else, as President Trump has committed, directly to rebuilding our nation’s military. So, rebuilding our military is key. 

    And then third is reestablishing deterrence. 

    Unfortunately, over the last couple of years, we’ve seen events that have occurred that have created the perception — reality or perception, but I would argue more perception of American weakness, whether it’s what happened in Afghanistan by the way, which we’re going to have accountability for, deserve accountability for what occurred in Afghanistan, for what happened on October 7th, the war that was unleashed in Ukraine.

    Chaos happens when the perception of American strength is not complete. And so, we aim to reestablish that deterrence, and it starts with our own southern border. It starts with the defense of our homeland. 

    I think in some ways this department over time has felt like that’s somebody else’s mission. We’ve spent a lot of time, decades, my generation and yours, defending other people’s borders across the world yet we’ve seen an invasion of our own. 

    From people all around the world who I’m sure many of them want to seek a better life. I understand that. But we also don’t know who millions of them are, what their intentions are, why they’re here — that creates a very real national security threat to the country. 

    Border security is national security and, as the president has told us, we’re going to get 100 percent operational control of our southern border and that will — needs to be and will be a focus of this department. 

    I want to tip my hat to NORTHCOM, they’ve done an amazing job in the first couple of weeks here, taking that executive order, which talked about the territorial defense of our country being core to the defense mission, and implementing it. 

    In some ways, using existing processes that we have, which frankly are not robust enough, but also planning and looking forward to how we transition into a more permanent effective defense, repel and seal at our southern border, so that we know exactly who’s coming in and when they come in, they’re coming in lawfully.

    And then also around-the-world prioritization. We have a lot of assets; we don’t have unlimited assets. And so, part of prioritizing is empowering our allies and partners. We need to lead the world, there’s no doubt. And President Trump has been clear about that. 

    America first means we’re taking care of America first. But part of America First is empowering allies and partners to be combat multipliers, to add to the capabilities that we have. 

    I mean that’s foreign military sales, that’s exercises, that’s defense partnerships. But it’s also reminding certain countries and certain regions of the world that America can’t be the guarantor of everything forever in a world where we have to prioritize shifting to larger threats in certain moments. 

    So, you’re going to see that kind of prioritization from us, which we believe will empower, invigorate, incentivize more burden sharing from allies who are beloved to us, who we support, who also need to be prepared to step up. 

    President Trump, led on that with NATO in his first administration. We’re going to do it again. We’re going over to Europe next week for the NATO ministerial to talk to our friends who have been and will continue to be our allies. 

    But we also need to encourage them to continue to step up in their defense industrial base in spending. The kind of things we need to do here at home also. 

    So, sort of to wrap it up, and I’ve already gone longer than I should have. It really is a back — from our perspective a back-to-basics moment. 

    When President Trump chose me and he said, Pete, I want you to run the Defense Department. His charge to me was return that department to its warfighting mission at its core. 

    Warfighting, lethality meritocracy, accountability, and readiness. The things we — the — I — the bedrock of what we all understand our basic mission to be. 

    You know, I was at the Sergeant Major’s Academy down at Fort Bliss just a couple of days ago talking to 500 future sergeants major. Um, they’re the standard bearers. What are the standards? I mean, and it starts with the basic stuff, right? It’s grooming standards and uniform standards and training standards, fitness standards. 

    All of that matters. It’s almost like the broken windows theory of policing. When you ignore the small stuff from criminals, and I’m not — I’m not saying if you violate grooming standards, you’re a criminal. 

    The analogy is incomplete. 

    But if you violate the small stuff and you allow it to happen, the big stuff, it creates a culture where big stuff you’re not held accountable for. I think the same thing exists inside our services. And making sure at every level there is standards and accountability. And that — that we live it at the highest levels as well. 

    Which is why we are going to, you know, look back at what happened in Afghanistan and hold people accountable. Not to be retrospective not for retribution, but to understand what went wrong and why there was no accountability for it. Those types of things are examples. 

    But I just appreciate the service so many of you give. I know so many people are watching. It’s the honor of a lifetime to come alongside you. No one will work harder. No one’s going to be more — attempt to be more transparent with the American people and with you.

    We do want to hear your feedback. Um, and we’re going to hit the ground running. And I’m grateful to President Trump for his leadership. We’re going to rebuild the military and focus on the troops. So, I’m happy to take any questions anybody might have. 

    And you can ask questions. It’s okay. 

    I think there’s a microphone here and here. If you want to come up, sir, to the microphone. 

    So, everybody can hear you. There’s one right here. 

    Yes, sir. I’m going to grab a water.

    Q:  Thank you, sir. You talked about deterrence. Do you see the department becoming more aggressive, more assertive in the gray zone to further deter China and Russia? 

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH:  That’s a good question. I hope that it’s been noticed and it’s intentional that a lot of our outreach — my outreach early on to defense ministers has been in the Indo-Pacific, strengthening those alliances even more. 

    There’s gray zone activities that exist, some of which you can acknowledge, some of which you cannot. But certainly, we want to send the signals to China that that area will be and continues to be contested. 

    Our allies and partners, we will stand with them robustly in real time with defense capabilities. And we’re not just going to allow them to perpetually sort of de facto gobble up more of that contested space by the routines that they conduct to sort of demonstrate that all is normal in an increasingly escalating way, maybe even to mask efforts they might be undertaking.

    So, we’re definitely, keeping an eye on that. We’re clear eyed about the communist Chinese, the PRC, but we’re also not attempting to initiate conflict or create conflict where it otherwise doesn’t need to exist. We’re going to stand strong with our partners. 

    And then President Trump, at his strategic level, is the one who’s having the conversations to sort of ensure that we don’t ever have a conflict. 

    We don’t want that; they don’t want that. We just have to remain strong in order to be in the best possible position. 

    Q:  Thank you, sir.

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH:  Thank you.

    Q:  Sir, Army IG. So, I’m really happy to hear you say standards, going back to standards. That’s critically important. 

    I’m involved in senior official investigations for headquarters DA. By and large, our military leadership is doing the right thing. I’m proud to say that as an Army IG. 

    What can we do with the service across the board to better the standards across the whole formation? 
    So, we have some examples of improprieties and things that have metastasized over the last decade. How do we get at those kinds of things? What is the department doing to look at those kinds of cancers that are within our ranks?

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH:  It’s a good question. 

    First of all, I think in some cases there’s simplification that needs to be had at least from my perspective. And by that I mean — and that goes back to kind of our initial charge, which is culture. The intentional crafting of culture. That there are a lot of reasons why we could look at each other and create differences or caveats or special categories that I think create unnecessary differences and ripples that lead to conflation points that lead to accusations or disagreements or inability to enforce standards.

    I just wrote a book called The War on Warriors, which was used for me and against me in my hearing [laughter]. 

    But in writing that book, for six months, I was on the phone, off the record, with active-duty service members with — at all ranks, right — junior enlisted, senior officers, NCOs, warrant officers, all services, all ranks, because I wanted to get a sense of what their feeling was. 

    And I wrote this down and it’s true, a lot of commanders were expressing they felt like they were walking on eggshells inside their own formations. And this is company commanders, battalion commanders, brigade commanders. 

    Sorry, sometimes I only use army speak for formations, I’m learning the rest in real time, but you know what I mean as far as formations. 

    Because the standards have become opaque and loose, or there’s such an emphasis on differences that treating someone one way is offensive to somebody else as opposed to treating somebody this way and is offensive to somebody else.

    By simplifying that and saying you are an individual who’s put it on the uniform of our nation, who’s sworn an oath to defend the Constitution, and you will be treated by your capabilities, your commitment to the mission, how — your work ethic and what you deliver. You. 

    That’s it. It has nothing to do with your race or your ethnicity or your gender or your sexual orientation.

    That’s not how we’re reviewing the environment for your consideration. 

    When you’re looking at all these other categories as sort of a tapestry, it creates a serious amount of complications. I think by simplifying and focusing on standards, I think a lot of that — I don’t want to say washes away because you still have plenty of complications and you still have problems. Everyone needs to be treated equally, those things to be recognized, sexual harassment, not tolerated. 

    All of those things remain true, which have been true and need to be enforced at the highest levels, but hopefully by some level of uniform simplification that can be addressed. 

    Yes.

    Q:  Great, thanks for taking the time to come and speak with us. 

    Recognizing the president’s intent to streamline the federal workforce, I was hoping you could provide a little bit of your process and your thinking of what that means for the department, where there will be identified areas to be cut or streamlined? And if you have a sense of also the timeline?

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH:  Sure, thank you for the question. It is — the way I look at it or I’ve thought about it is from the flagpole to the front lines. There are thousands of additional — and I’m not saying that just because we’re here in the Pentagon, but there are thousands of additional Pentagon positions, headquarters positions, other positions that have been created over the last 20 years that don’t necessarily translate to battlefield success.

    Additional staff, additional layers of bureaucracy, additional flag officer positions, that we are — we would be remiss if we did not review. We also live in a budget constrained environment and that’s politics that I thankfully don’t have to worry about anymore. 

    I have my opinions, but that’s not my job. My job is a ready force. 

    We will have to live inside the constraints of the past. I mean, I just — we were down at Fort Bliss recently and the unit there, the armored Cav unit there relayed that they’ve had to cut an FTX, a series of training exercises coming up because of budget constraints. 

    Well, when you’re living off of continuing resolutions and caps, and then you have contingency operations and things that change, suddenly you have shortfalls and now unit training falls by the wayside.

    From my perspective, that’s — I mean, that’s completely unacceptable. 

    What are we spending elsewhere that can be targeted efficiently? And it’s not just the fraud, waste and abuse stuff, it’s systems, it’s hierarchies, it’s layers that we can review, reduce, recommend those reductions. That then allows us to ensure that training and readiness in the frontline units and the COCOMs is even increased. 

    I want more of that. 

    So, it’s interesting. Former Secretary Rumsfeld gave a speech on September 10th, 2001, that was about acquisitions and reform and Pentagon bureaucracy that — overtaken by events the next day, September 11th, 2001 — was quickly forgotten and really never addressed. 

    I feel like I could give about 85 percent of the same speech today, that Secretary Rumsfeld gave on September 10th, because a lot of those processes have become even more systemic in taking root here that cause delays, redundancies, and bureaucratic red tape.

    That’s — we’re looking at the headquarters level. We’re looking at the highest levels.

    I said this in my hearing as well. We won World War II with seven four-star generals. Today we have 44. Do all of those directly contribute to warfighting success? Maybe they do, I don’t know, but it’s worth reviewing to make sure they do. 

    So, we’re looking at all options. What we’re not going to be is hasty about it because we’re in the business of national security. And something that may not look like it’s contributing may be incredibly important to the effort and so whatever we do is going to be done carefully. 

    Q. Thank you. 

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH: Yes, sir.

    Q:  Good morning, sir. Based on what you said about maintaining American dominance in the world, our adversaries, especially Chinese and Russians, they have a 20-year strategy, a 30-year strategy and they look that far ahead. How do we change our approach to maintain US dominance abroad? That strategy is more than five years, more than 10 years. And also ensuring that our resources are prioritized and allocated to maintaining our US dominance in decades, sir, not in years.

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH:  You tell me [laughter]. It sounds like you need to come work for me — or maybe you already do and thank you [laughter]. 

    I’m figuring it out. I found out where the bathroom was. 

    That, sir, indeed is the key question. Autocracies have an advantage, not just because of the top-down nature in which they organize. 

    I mean they have disadvantages for obvious reasons. But because they have the convenience of planning without political — you know, the pesky people problem of voting and ballots, they can plan 15, 20 years and then drive that plan without consequence to their own population, which does have strategic advantages, no doubt. 

    I actually think that system loses in the long haul because of its inherent weaknesses. But that militarily has advantages. 

    I think you’re going to see a defense strategy coming out of our office that tries to look that far down the line, tries to make disruptive changes to how we acquire and rapidly field and look at systems that are not about congressional districts or budget line items for FY26 or FY27. 

    But try to look toward what strategically we’re going to need five, ten years down the line looking ahead at what the emerging threats are, and what a shifting in the balance of power would mean. 

    I mean, when — we’re in a different world than we were at the end of the Cold War. We’re now at a near peer or peer environment, which changes a lot of the dynamics of how we need to plan specifically to maintain American strength around the world. 

    Because it is not hyperbole to say without America, the rest of the world acknowledges there’s nowhere else to look as far as actual leadership and capabilities in the defense space. 

    It’s us or us. 

    And then our robust allies and partners who we incentivize to come alongside us. And that’s how you create a Western force capable of ensuring not just our country and our hemisphere, but the world remains free to trade, travel, all the things that we share.

    So, our — I think we have to be willing to look further than any time this president would be in office or I would be in office and set the department up to do that. Knowing that at any time, two years from now or four years from now, the American people can make a different choice and that can lead to different views of that. 

    But we’re trying to take an America First strategic perspective at how we maintain our dominance. 

    And I think you see some things already changing in that — our southern border, the focus on making sure we have control over the Panama Canal and making sure that there’s not a scenario in an emergency where our ships couldn’t transit because you have foreign ownership on either side.

    Those are sort of America First views that we’re willing to look into that look further into the future than just that should there be a contingency, while looking to the Indo-Pacific and realizing the aspirations of the CCP, which are real and could drive a decision point vis-a-vis something like Taiwan.

    So, you’re right, we are trying to think that way, with how we — because dollars drive a lot of those decisions. And so, the budget — as much as I thought this was a job about strategy and people, it’s a job about budgets. And what you fund is what you — is a reflection of what your priority is. 
    And so, we’re spending a lot of time looking at that. But thank you. That’s the key question, sir. Yes, sir. 

    One more. All right. Yes, sir.

    Q:  Hi, sir, thank you for your time today. My question is more about the families of the military and the civilians that support the family of the Department of Defense. So often the frequency of moves, the unsettled nature of what we do impacts the families. I’m looking for your comments on how we plan to continue to take care of those.

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH:  Oh, my goodness. You’re 100 percent right. 

    By the way, we’re in a reconciliation process right now, which is a unique funding situation, not just looking at budget cycles. 

    As a former O-4 who spent most of his time as an O-2 and an O-3, I spent most of my time with E-4s and E-5s and E-6s and have heard robustly the frustrations they and their families have, which is a massive readiness and retention issue and a morale issue.

    So, as we’ve driven budgets, I have said to the team, that needs to be — I don’t — funding one more multi-billion-dollar system is not as important as funding the families and the capabilities of our human systems that make it all happen. 

    So, I want that to be — and I applaud the previous administration’s increase in E-1 to E-4 pay. That stuff is really important. We need to do more of that. That trickles to the family and how they’re cared for. 

    And then yeah, we have to look at all aspects of how we interact with families from childcare to DOD schools. And the president signed an EO talking about choice in schools. Military families should have choice — if it’s great on post or on base, great. If not, do they have a robust opportunity to seek education or childcare for their kids elsewhere? That matters a lot. 

    Making sure BAH matches. All of these things are important. 

    And my wife’s going to be traveling with me to — we’re going to the NATO ministerial to — we’re not going to the Munich Security Conference. We’re instead going to Poland to see the troops out there and we’re going to Germany to see EUCOM and AFRICOM. 

    I would much rather talk to troops than go to cocktail parties. That’s my job. 

    And we’re going to meet with military families. She’s going to meet with husbands, wives and spouses on that trip. Go see schools go, go see faith groups, childcare centers to get a real pulse of what that is and then make sure we’re funding it. 

    So, I want you to know that’s something that matters a lot to us. I appreciate the question. 

    So, we have one more — oh, go ahead. Let’s do one more. Ricky told me I couldn’t, but why not?

    Q:  Good morning, sir. I appreciate you taking the time. I’m from OSD CAPE. And my question follows up on your point about the acquisition process. We’re in a day right now that we have a lot of dangerous powers that are rising and we’re trying to figure out what to focus on in the acquisition process. 

    And us as civilians, we want to be there to support the warfighters and get them the capabilities that they need fielded in the fastest time possible, but with the appropriate amount of testing and making sure everything works when it gets to the battlefield. 

    So, I guess my real question for you is what’s your focus when it comes to the acquisition process and reforms and the trade-off between faster capabilities that are probably smaller and could be fielded quicker versus these larger scale capabilities that we really need for that deterrent effect?

    SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH:  In a perfect world, I would say both, right?

    I mean, first of all listening to the COCOMs, listening to the people on the pointy end of the spear, watching what’s happening in real time on the battlefield, take Ukraine as an example.

    A lot of people — we’re learning a lot about what low-cost systems UAVs can do to high-cost systems that we have invested a great deal in. And the question is do you keep investing in those or not going forward. 

    Listening to the services also making balances — and it’s not necessarily choosing between services but recognizing capabilities of services vis-a-vis prospective upcoming fights. And then I think we have a unique opportunity to tap into industry, Silicon Valley, other — I mean, obviously we’ve got massive organizations that have helped create big platforms that are incredibly important for deterrence.

    We also have some really fast-moving newer contractors that are willing to work, that have already put a lot of money into R&D that want to help us rapidly field these new systems that we’re going to need for fights in the future. 

    So, funding even more robustly, and I don’t want to name check anything and say that’s the only route, but things like DIU and others where you can experimentally rapidly field new technologies and then find a way to make sure they’re funded so that they can be scaled and tested even in real time out with COCOMs, as opposed to an 18-month testing process to kind of move things, merge things together so they’re happening more quickly. 

    And we’re hearing a lot of that from commanders in the field who are saying, hey skip this, this, this and that process. Let us figure out how it works and then we can scale it once we know it does or does not. 

    But I also want — I want to underscore that a lot of these major platforms — and that was a wonderful part of doing the advise-and-consent process in the US Senate. 

    Yes, there are senators that are invested in certain platforms or systems from their home state or their district.

    But when you actually dig underneath it, they understand the strategic deterrence effect of these big systems we spend a lot of money on, oftentimes too much money, over budget and too long. And that’s something we are definitely going to address for reasons of urgency and for reasons of taxpayer — respect for taxpayers.

    But we need and want those systems because without them we don’t have the umbrella that allows us to do so many other things. So, we’re looking at both, but we’re trying to get outside the box and be disruptive on both, recognizing we won’t be able to do everything in every way. But thank you for the question.

    I just want to thank everybody for your time. I appreciate what you do. 

    We’ll let you get back to work. I know — I mean, again, I can’t even fathom the size and scope of this building and what everybody does. I know that — I know what I don’t know.

    But we’re trying to hire the best and brightest to come alongside all of you in the work that you’re already doing. And I’m just honored to be a small part of it. 

    So, thank you very much [applause].

    STAFF:  Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes today’s town hall. Thank you for joining us. Please remain in place for the departure of the official party.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 7th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján, Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to End Harmful Freeze on Health Communications and Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    Senators emphasize the damage Trump’s freeze on funding has already inflicted on patient care and public health oversight

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 34 Senate Democrats to call on Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Dorothy Fink to end the unprecedented freeze on all external communications and funding at HHS.

    This freeze has disrupted clinical trials and prevented HHS operating divisions, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), from communicating with patient groups and scientific advisory committees without a plan for restoration. The directive prohibits agencies from issuing vital public health advisories, publishing scientific reports, updating websites, announcing regulatory decisions, and distributing federal grants. CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), considered the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates, is delayed for the first time in over 60 years. This political interference is a threat to public health.

    “We write to express our deep concern over the administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” wrote the senators. “The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.”

    “This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable. … The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision,” the senators continued.

    The letter was led by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Minn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass,), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

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

    Dear Acting Secretary Fink:

    We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.

    On January 22, all 13 HHS operating divisions – including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were told to immediately “pause” all external communications and grant disbursements until at least February 1, with no clear plan for restoration. This directive prohibits agencies from issuing public health advisories, publishing scientific reports, updating websites, announcing regulatory decisions, or conducting outreach to patient groups – unless such activity is explicitly approved by politically appointed leadership.

    With the Administration’s own deadline having passed, it remains unclear when these restrictions will be lifted. While limited exceptions exist for critical health, safety, or national security concerns, the freeze has already severely impeded essential public health and biomedical research functions.

    The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates, was abruptly delayed for the first time in over 60 years, limiting reporting on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak and other emerging infectious disease threats. The MMWR often includes clinical recommendations for doctors, such as guidance on how to treat diseases that are currently circulating in the United States – and delaying the MMWR means that doctors may not have all the latest information they need to keep their patients healthy.

    At the NIH, new clinical trials have been delayed and external peer-review grant processes have faced disruptions. NIH study sections – which legally must review grant applications before funding can be disbursed – were initially canceled, creating uncertainty about when federal research funds will be awarded. Despite efforts by the Administration to provide clarity, it remains unclear whether the full peer-review process has resumed and how long grant funding decisions will continue to be delayed. This uncertainty has placed billions in federal research funds in limbo, directly threatening ongoing medical studies and academic research programs.

    The freeze has also blocked NIH from engaging with patient groups on ways to recruit participants into ongoing clinical trials. This means that patients with rare diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions who rely on clinical trials for treatments may be prevented from enrolling, directly jeopardizing their access to life-saving care.

    This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable. While it is not unusual for a new administration to conduct brief reviews of existing programs, no past transition has implemented a blanket freeze of this magnitude.

    Accordingly, we request an immediate and detailed response to the following questions by Monday, February 10:

    Provide a full accounting of all scientific reports, disease surveillance updates, grant decisions, public health advisories, events, calls, research reviews, reports, issue briefs, inspections, surveys, and postings that have been postponed or cancelled since noon on January 20.

    Which of the postponed or cancelled items will be rescheduled or published, and by what date?

    Has the pause affected communications between HHS and other federal Departments or state agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture. If so, in what capacity?

    Can you confirm that all external communications, including those listed above in your answer to the first question, have already resumed or will resume by February 10? If not, please provide a detailed explanation for any continued delay.

    Has the communications and funding freeze affected the department’s ability to respond promptly to public health threats and ongoing outbreaks? If so, in what ways?

    Given that we are at the height of virus season, how has this pause affected the department’s ability to fulfill its core mission of protecting public health?

    The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. We look forward to your response and to working with the Department to protect public health and ensure Americans can get the care they need.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: February 7th, 2025 Heinrich, Luján Demand VA Secretary Collins Step Up and Defend Veterans’ Private Information from Elon Musk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined 25 Senate Democrats to urge Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins to immediately secure veterans’ personal information provided by the VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). This call follows Musk’s takeover of the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which includes private information of veterans and their families, and reports of DOGE employees accessing VA computer systems at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

    In a letter, the senators demanded that VA Secretary Collins deny and sever Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and to delete any veterans’ information in their possession.

    “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans…Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain,” the senators wrote.

    “Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to the VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information,” the senators continued.

    “Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by administrations of both parties,” the senators stated.

    There are millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. These confidential records include veterans’ prescriptions, diagnoses, and procedures they have undergone. Access to these medical records could give Musk and DOGE the ability to identify veterans who have received abortions or abortion counseling in the past. The Million Veteran Program, which manages the genomic data of its more than one million veteran participants for authorized research programs, also stores its data in VA data systems. In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system stores private information of veterans, surviving spouses, and their families, including their monthly disability compensation amount, home address, and bank account numbers.

    “During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at the VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files,” the senators concluded.

    The letter was led by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Alongside Heinrich and Luján, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Angus King (I-Maine), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).

    The full text of the letter is here and below.

    Dear Secretary Collins,

    Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans. Today, we call on you to immediately secure any personal and related information regarding veterans provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and associates under the auspices of the “Department of Government Efficiency” established under Executive Order 14158. Further, we call on you to deny and sever their access to any VA or other government system that includes information about veterans, and to require them to immediately and permanently delete any information in their possession. Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.

    Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information. Veterans and VA employees entrusted the Department with this information with the understanding that it would be kept private and only used to help deliver the highest quality of services to veterans, their families, and survivors.

    Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.

    These actions are in direct violation of federal laws meant to protect our national security and the privacy of our citizens’ personal information. This includes information on Social Security payments, Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, veterans’ disability compensation payments, GI Bill payments, federal civil servants’ personnel records, and much more. With every hour, we see DOGE further expand its efforts to create a massive private database of previously guarded data outside the federal government’s cyber and legal protections. It is an abhorrent and illegal overreach of executive powers, which conflicts with various federal statutes, including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Privacy Act, the E-Government Act of 2002, and likely several other cyber and national security laws.

    During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Digs into Waste, Fraud and Abuse at DOD’s Office of Net Assessment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is calling on the Department of Defense (DOD) to eliminate egregious waste, fraud and abuse at the Office of Net Assessment (ONA). In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Grassley pressed DOD to determine how many formal net assessments ONA has completed since 2007 and whether its purpose is still necessary in light of its consistently wayward performance.

    “Since 2019, I’ve engaged in oversight of the Office of Net Assessment within the Department of Defense, requesting information and documents related to Professor Stefan Halper’s contracting work and ONA’s contracting practices more broadly. To date, ONA has failed to provide full and complete responses to my inquiries,” Grassley wrote.

    ONA is tasked with researching and comparing trends in military capabilities to identify future threats and opportunities. However, Grassley’s oversight has shown it has breached contracting rules and inappropriately spent millions of taxpayer dollars on projects unrelated to a net assessment.

    In his letter today, Grassley requested all ONA-produced net assessments since 2007 and the date when ONA plans to conduct its next assessment. Grassley also requested a full list of contracts issued over the last 10 years, including the total cost of each contract to the taxpayer in unclassified form after ONA previously improperly classified the information to hide it from public scrutiny.

    “I remain concerned that ONA is not performing its mission for the taxpayer and has engaged in financial waste. Moreover, ONA’s improper classification of taxpayer funded work product must come to an end,” Grassley continued.

    Grassley has scrutinized ONA’s contracting practices since 2019, with a particular focus on contracts awarded to Stefan Halper. Halper was a confidential human source tasked by the Obama and Biden administrations’ FBI to surreptitiously record members of President Trump’s 2016 election campaign during the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

    Text of Grassley’s letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth follows:

    February 7, 2025

    VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

    The Honorable Pete Hegseth

    Secretary

    Department of Defense

    Dear Secretary Hegseth:

    Since 2019, I’ve engaged in oversight of the Office of Net Assessment (ONA) within the Department of Defense (DoD) requesting information and documents related to Professor Stefan Halper’s contracting work and ONA’s contracting practices more broadly.[1]  To date, ONA has failed to provide full and complete responses to my inquiries.[2]

    As part of my oversight, in January 2020, I requested that ONA “provide a list of all contracts issued for each year over the last five years, the title of each funded project, and the total cost of each contract to the taxpayer.”[3]  I also asked that ONA specify which of these projects were considered classified research.[4]  On February 5, 2020, ONA produced a list of contracted work, but classified all of it.[5]  On June 18, 2020, I wrote again to ONA noting that the list was improperly classified and only served to hide information that the taxpayers ought to know about.[6]  Accordingly, I requested that the entire list of contracts and funded projects be declassified and provided to my office.[7]  In response, on July 1, 2020, ONA stated that “it remains [Director Baker’s] judgement that the previous classified enclosure should remain classified.”[8]  Such a position is indefensible and is designed to prevent embarrassment, which my oversight has previously highlighted. 

    For example, in my June 18, 2020, letter, I noted a paper entitled, “On the Nature of Americans as a Warlike People: Workshop Report,” which was authored by the Long Term Strategy Group (LTSG).[9]  The workshop paper highlighted the “level of American belligerency . . . [which is] the result of the persistence of Scotch-Irish culture in America, with its emphasis on violent responses to challenge[.]”[10]  It further stated that “[t]he role of Scotch-Irish culture must also be understood as having been reinforced by slaveholding, and American Protestant religious beliefs,” and that the Scotch-Irish culture was “shaped by endemic warfare that placed high value on violent and immediate personal responses to challenges and high loyalty to clan and kin.”[11]  The paper continued by stating that the Scotch-Irish culture placed value “on violent immediate responses to challenges [which] shaped [their] views, and thus of the United States as a whole, toward war.”[12]  Additionally, in my June 2020 letter, I also raised concerns that ONA spent taxpayer dollars on a paper titled, “A Technical Report on the Nature of Movement Patterning, the Brain and Decision-Making,” which focused largely on Vladimir Putin’s neurological development and potential Asperger’s diagnosis.[13]  These have nothing to do with ONA’s core mission, which is to produce a net assessment that measures our military capabilities against our foreign adversaries. 

    My oversight work has shown that ONA has lost its way.  In June 2020, I introduced legislation that required ONA to perform the work it was created to do—complete a net assessment, which at that time hadn’t been done since 2007.[14]  That legislation included a provision requiring the DoD Inspector General (IG) perform a comprehensive review to determine ONA’s failure to comply with government contracting laws and regulations for research projects.[15]

                I remain concerned that ONA is not performing its mission for the taxpayer and has engaged in financial waste.  Moreover, ONA’s improper classification of taxpayer funded work product must come to an end.  So that Congress can conduct independent oversight of ONA and determine how it has used taxpayer dollars to comply with its mission, please provide answers to the following questions by February 21, 2025:

    1. From 2007 to 2025, provide all ONA produced net assessments.
    2. When does ONA plan to conduct its next net assessment?  Provide all records.[16]
    1. Provide a list of all contracts issued for each year over the last ten years, the title of each funded project to the extent applicable, the recipient of taxpayer money, and the total cost of each contract to the taxpayer.  Produce that information to me in unclassified form.

    Thank you for your prompt review and responses.  If you have any questions, please contact Tucker Akin on my Committee staff at (202) 224-7708.

    [1] Letter from Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, to the Honorable Mark Esper, Secretary, Department of Defense (July 12, 2019), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2019-07-12%20CEG%20to%20DoD%20(Halper%20Contracts)_0.pdf; Letter from Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, to the Honorable Mark Esper, Secretary, Department of Defense (Oct. 31, 2019), On File with Committee Staff; Letter from Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, to James Baker, Director, Office of Net Assessment, Department of Defense (Jan. 22, 2020), On File with Committee Staff; Letter from Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, to James Baker, Director, Office of Net Assessment, Department of Defense (June 18, 2020), On File with Committee Staff; and Letter from Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, and Sen. Ron Johnson, Chairman, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, to the Honorable Mark Esper, Secretary, Department of Defense (Oct. 14, 2020), On File with Committee Staff.

    [2] Id.

    [3] Letter from Sen. Charles E. Grassley (Jan. 22, 2020), supra note 1.

    [4] Id.

    [5] Letter from James Baker, Director, Office of Net Assessment, Department of Defense, to Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, (Feb. 5, 2020), On File with Committee Staff.

    [6] Letter from Sen. Charles E. Grassley (June. 18, 2020), supra note 1.

    [7] Id.

    [8] Letter from James Baker, Director, Office of Net Assessment, Department of Defense, to Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, (July 1, 2020), On File with Committee Staff.

    [9] On the Nature of Americans as a Warlike People: Workshop Report, Long Term Strategy Group (Apr. 2009),  https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Litigation_Release/Litigation%20Release%20-%20On%20the%20Nature%20of%20Americans%20as%20a%20Warlike%20People%20Workshop%20Report%20%20200904.pdf.

    [10] Id. at 1. 

    [11] Id. at 1, 3.

    [12] Id. at 4.

    [13] Elizabeth F. Ralph, The Pentagon’s Secret Putin Diagnosis, Politico (Feb. 5, 2015), https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/02/putin-autism-pentagon-114937.

    [14] Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Grassley: A Case in Waste, Fraud and Abuse: The Office of Net Assessment, Press Release (July 2, 2020), https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/grassley-case-waste-fraud-and-abuse-office-net-assessment (“Last week I introduced an amendment to the Defense Bill that does several things.  First, it reduces ONA’s budget to 10 million dollars a year.  Second, it requires the Secretary of Defense to create a comprehensive plan to ensure that ONA performs an annual net assessment and complies with federal contracting requirements.  Third, it requires the DOD Inspector General to study and report on ONA’s contracting failures and determine if a net assessment can be done for less than 10 million dollars. Fourth, it requires GAO to perform an audit of the effectiveness of the comprehensive plan.”).

    [15] Id.

    [16] “Records” include any written, recorded, or graphic material of any kind, including letters, memoranda, reports,  notes, electronic data (emails, email attachments, and any other electronically created or stored information),  calendar entries, inter-office communications, meeting minutes, phone/voice mail or recordings/records of verbal  communications, and drafts (whether they resulted in final documents).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China dismisses Rubio’s finger-pointing at its cooperation with Latin America

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China has lodged serious protests to the U.S. side over unfounded accusations against China made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his visit to Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

    Rubio, during his visits to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic from Feb. 1 to 6, made comments concerning China, including on China’s cooperation with LAC. He also claimed to “counter the influence of the Chinese Communist Party” in the Western Hemisphere.

    The spokesperson said that the groundless comments from the U.S. side, steeped in Cold War mentality and ideological bias, are unfounded accusations against China aimed at sowing discord between China and relevant LAC countries, which interfere in China’s internal affairs, and undermine China’s legitimate and lawful rights and interests.

    On China-LAC cooperation, the spokesperson said China is committed to growing friendship and cooperative ties with LAC countries under the principle of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation.

    “Between China and LAC countries, there is no zero-sum and the-winner-takes-all geopolitical calculations, only sincere mutual support and cooperation for shared progress,” the spokesperson said.

    “We never attach any strings to the practical cooperation between China and LAC countries, or target any third party,” the spokesperson said, adding that the cooperation meets the need of LAC countries, is mutually beneficial, and has delivered tangibly to relevant countries and made lives better for the local population.

    The spokesperson noted that the U.S. side points fingers at normal cooperation between LAC countries and a third country, showing no respect for LAC countries.

    The overwhelming trend of China and LAC countries working together for stronger cooperation is irreversible, the spokesperson added.

    On cybersecurity, the spokesperson noted that China has been all along committed to safeguarding cybersecurity and carrying out cooperation in relevant areas based on the principle of win-win cooperation.

    Chinese companies have been widely popular for their advanced 5G technologies and secure and efficient services. “Smearing Chinese companies and suppressing Chinese technologies will neither hold back China’s development and progress nor stop its cooperation with other countries, but only cut oneself off opportunities,” said the spokesperson.

    On the Taiwan question, the spokesperson said there is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

    The spokesperson said 183 countries have established diplomatic ties with China, which fully shows that supporting the one-China principle is the right thing to do and where the public opinion trends and the arc of history bends.

    The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair, which brooks no foreign interference, the spokesperson said.

    The U.S. interruption of the normal exchanges and cooperation between China and LAC countries will win no support and is doomed to fail, the spokesperson added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Kaine Lead Colleagues in Raising Concerns about Virginia Community Health Centers’ Delays in Accessing Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) led 20 of their colleagues in writing a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Acting Secretary Dorothy A. Fink, M.D. regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, including community health centers, are experiencing significant delays in accessing funding. The senators also expressed concerns about restrictions on regular communications between HRSA and grantees. These issues come after an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo that suspended all federal grant and loan funding. The memo has since been rescinded following pressure from the senators, other Democrats in Congress, and the public, but many grantees that rely on federal funding are still experiencing confusion and uncertainty, and have received little to no guidance from the Trump Administration about their funding.

    There are 31 Federally Qualified Health Centers with over 200 locations—a majority of which serve rural areas with limited access to medical care—in Virginia. Due to the funding freeze, several centers within the Capital Area Health Network closed earlier this week. Kaine and Warner met with Virginia community health centers earlier this week.

    “We are writing to express serious concerns regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, such as Community Health Centers (health centers), continue to experience significant delays in accessing funding to support services, as well as restrictions on regular communications with agency staff as a result of the Trump Administration’s January 20, 2025 executive orders to pause external communication from federal agencies, and subsequent memorandum directing all federal departments and agencies to freeze all financial assistance.” wrote the members.

    The members continued, “While nearly 70 percent of health center revenue comes from payments from Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and self-pay patients, health centers rely on their regular federal grant funding to meet payroll obligations and keep their doors open. Beginning in late January, health centers started reporting issues accessing the Payment Management System (PMS) – getting “locked out”, being denied funding they had been awarded, and experiencing long delays in funding being released. As a result, health centers across the country are experiencing panic, unsure how to pay their staff and keep their doors open.”

    “Despite a judge’s order blocking the funding freeze, we are troubled by reports that health centers are unable to access funding duly appropriated by Congress through the PMS. To compound this issue, our offices have heard troubling reports that since the Trump Administration’s executive orders and funding freeze, funding that has already been appropriated and directed by Congress is still being restricted, and standing webinars, briefings, and meetings are being cancelled at the last minute,” they wrote. “Health centers are receiving little communication regarding these cancellations and changes, and the communication they have received from HRSA has been unclear, directing actions that may conflict with current court orders.”

    “Two-thirds of Virginia’s community health centers are located in the rural areas of our Commonwealth,” said Tracy Douglas, CEO of the Virginia Community Healthcare Association. “For countless hardworking individuals and families in these regions, these health centers are not just a place for medical care—they are a lifeline. People rely on them to stay healthy so they can work, care for their families, and live full, productive lives. It is absolutely imperative that we ensure the continued operation of these vital health centers to protect the well-being of our communities and our nation.”

    In addition to Kaine and Warner, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). The letter is also signed by U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA-02), Gerry Connolly (D-VA-11), Don Beyer (D-VA-08), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04), Eugene Vindman (D-VA-07), Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10), and Sarah McBride (D-DE-At-Large).

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

    Dear Acting Secretary Fink,

    We are writing to express serious concerns regarding reports that Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grantees, such as Community Health Centers (health centers), continue to experience significant delays in accessing funding to support services, as well as restrictions on regular communications with agency staff as a result of the Trump Administration’s January 20, 2025 executive orders to pause external communication from federal agencies, and subsequent memorandum directing all federal departments and agencies to freeze all financial assistance.

    Community Health Centers provide high-quality primary and preventive care, dental care, behavioral health and substance use disorder services, and low-cost prescription drugs to more than 32 million Americans annually, serving one in five rural Americans and one in three people living in poverty. Nationally, more than 1,400 health centers operate over 15,000 service sites across every state and Territory, employing more than 500,000 individuals and generating nearly $85 billion in economic output.

    Despite the critical role health centers play in addressing health inequities, many centers struggle to keep up with the growing demand for services and rising costs to deliver high-quality care in their communities. While nearly 70 percent of health center revenue comes from payments from Medicaid, Medicare, commercial insurance, and self-pay patients, health centers rely on their regular federal grant funding to meet payroll obligations and keep their doors open. Beginning in late January, health centers started reporting issues accessing the Payment Management System (PMS) – getting “locked out”, being denied funding they had been awarded, and experiencing long delays in funding being released. As a result, health centers across the country are experiencing panic, unsure how to pay their staff and keep their doors open. Due to delays in funding, health centers have reported:

    • “We have put off signing a contract to replace our mammography machine, which has reached end of life, because of this freeze and the uncertainty.”
    • “I’m also now getting providers asking if they should be looking for a new job. Without any understanding and guidance, I’m pretty limited with how much I can actually assure them to do other than tighten our belts…”
    • “Any services that are directly funded by federal funds will be placed on hold…”
    • “We had to use all reserves in 2024. We will not make payroll or any other payments next week without access to this federal funding. Staff will be dismissed without access to federal funds.”
    • “If everything stays the same…the best guess is that we could be fully operational for six months.”
    • “We have the ability to sustain current or full operations for 60 days…Outreach and case management staff…would be in the first wave of layoffs. Unfortunately, those positions rely on federal support as they are typically not reimbursable through third-party payors. In a short period of time, this has had a profound impact on our staff. [Staff are] concerned that we will lose valuable staff members as they are concerned about the stability of the organization.”
    • “We will step back on hiring and likely implement hiring pause unless this is resolved quickly.”
    • “We have enough in reserve to cover two payroll periods.”
    • “The pause in grant funding would create a deficit for us…We would likely need to start reducing staff and healthcare services to the…patients we serve…within the next couple of weeks if the freeze persists.”

    As safety net providers operating on razor-thin margins, health centers need certainty to provide care in underserved communities. In Virginia alone, ongoing delays in accessing funding have caused health centers to close their doors and cancel patient appointments. When health centers close, people with chronic conditions miss appointments, pregnant women miss prenatal visits, and behavioral health services are interrupted, worsening outcomes and increasing costs to the entire health care system.

    Despite a judge’s order blocking the funding freeze, we are troubled by reports that health centers are unable to access funding duly appropriated by Congress through the PMS. To compound this issue, our offices have heard troubling reports that since the Trump Administration’s executive orders and funding freeze, funding that has already been appropriated and directed by Congress is still being restricted, and standing webinars, briefings, and meetings are being cancelled at the last minute. Health centers are receiving little communication regarding these cancellations and changes, and the communication they have received from HRSA has been unclear, directing actions that may conflict with current court orders.

    We request that you provide answers to the following questions in writing no later than Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

    1. How many health centers have draw-down requests pending in the PMS?
      1. How has that number changed, daily, since January 27, 2025?
      2. What is the average wait time from submission of a draw-down request to disbursement of funds prior to January 27, 2025 and after January 27, 2025?
    2. How many health center draw-down requests have been denied since January 27, 2025?
      1. What is the rationale for these denials?
    3. What is the exact timeline for ensuring the PMS is fully operational and disbursing all pending health center draw-down requests?
    4. What specific authority and under which executive action did HRSA or the Department of Health and Human Services use to restrict health center access to the PMS and funding that they had been previously awarded?
    5. Please provide a list of regular standing calls or meetings between HRSA staff and HRSA grantees that have been cancelled since January 20, 2025. Please include the following:
      1. A description of the grantees impacted, including the type of grantees and number of grantees.
      2. Whether funds appropriated by Congress for the purpose of the grant are being withheld from being awarded to the grantees.
    6. Please provide a list of webinars, briefings, information sessions, and trainings that have been cancelled since January 20, 2025. Please include the following:
      1. A description of the purpose of each webinar, briefing, information session, or training.
      2. Whether or not the webinar, briefing, information session, or training is required by statute and if so, provide the corresponding citation.

    Sincerely,

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner, Daines Introduce Legislation to Boost Job Growth, Support Virginia Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON —U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Steve Daines (R-MT), both members of the Senate Finance Committee, introduced legislation that will permanently extend the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) in order to encourage redevelopment and new construction in communities across the country, including Virginia. The New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act will permanently extend the NMTC, which attracts capital to low-income communities by providing private investors a 39 percent federal tax credit for investments made in businesses or economic development projects, including housing.

    “The New Markets Tax Credit is a vital tool in the fight to build more housing and encourage investment in communities that need it most. By leveraging this program, we can encourage economic development, expand opportunity and make housing more affordable for families across the country,” said Sen. Warner.

    “The New Markets Tax Credit spurs growth and creates jobs in our communities across Montana. Making this program permanent will encourage the opportunities and economic stability our country needs to continue thriving,” said Sen. Daines.

    NMTC investments take place in all 50 states. In the last 20 years, $81 billion in NMTC allocations has financed more than 8,500 businesses and projects with total project costs of over $130 billion. The NMTC Program created or retained more than 894,000 jobs and supported the construction of over 56.7 million square feet of manufacturing space, 94.5 million square feet of office space, and 67.2 million square feet of retail space across the country.

    The New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act is one of several bills Warner has introduced or plans to introduce in the 119th Congress to expand access to housing and make housing more affordable for Virginians.

    Joining Sens. Warner and Daines in introducing this legislation are Sens. John Boozman (R-AK.), Peter Welch (D-VT), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), John Hickenlooper (D-CO(), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Corey Booker (D-NJ).

    “The New Markets Tax Credit has been an essential tool for LISC to finance community revitalization work in Virginia and throughout the country. NMTCs have enabled LISC to finance a wide array of projects in disadvantaged communities, including the Petersburg Public Library, the Anna Julia Cooper School and The Market at 25th project in Richmond’s east end.  These projects provide important educational resources, community facilities, healthy food options and affordable housing for local residents.  LISC strongly supports the New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act and thanks Senator Warner for his leadership in making this vital tax credit permanent,” said Jane Ferrara, Executive Director, LISC Virginia.

    “Our New Markets Tax Credit allocation will allow Locus to fill project financing gaps by providing both equity and affordable debt to projects that may not move forward otherwise.  This financing tool will allow Locus to deepen its outreach efforts and drive more capital into projects that create jobs and drive economic development in areas that need it most,” said Clyde Cornett, CFO and Interim CEO, Locus.

    “New Markets Tax Credits (NMTC) have proven to be vital tools in attracting billions in private investment into local communities. Every $1 of federal funding attracts $8 in private investment, which in turn creates jobs, enlivens communities, and spurs growth. We support a permanent NMTC program that can extend and amplify this efficient, market-driven solution in urban and rural areas across the country,” said Ellis Carr, President & CEO, Capital Impact Partners & CDC Small Business Finance.

    “New Markets Tax Credits have been a game-changer in Appalachia and have helped us create and retain over 8,170 jobs across the region, supporting economic development in underserved communities. We appreciate Senator Warner’s continued leadership and efforts to strengthen the program and to make the New Markets Tax Credits permanent,” said Bryan Phipps, President and CEO, People Incorporated.

    Full text of the bill is available here.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Trump Announces “Joint Venture” on Alaska LNG Project with Japan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    02.07.25

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Governor Mike Dunleavy (R-Alaska) today applauded President Trump’s leadership for highlighting the Alaska Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Project in his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba today at the White House and announcing a “joint venture” on Alaska oil and gas between the United States and Japan.

    In his press conference today, President Trump said, “Japan will soon begin importing historic new shipments of clean American liquefied natural gas in record numbers…We’re talking about the pipeline in Alaska, which is the closest point of major oil and gas to Japan by far…We’re talking about a joint venture of some type between Japan and us having to do with Alaska oil and gas.”

    “While Alaskans are praying for those who were on the missing Bering Air flight last night, we did have some very good news today on the Alaska LNG Project: I want to thank President Trump for his strong leadership on the Alaska LNG Project in his meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister today,” said Sen. Sullivan. “With his leadership, we will get the Alaska LNG Project built, which will create thousands of good-paying jobs, reinvigorate our American steel industry, significantly reduce our trade deficit in Asia, and deliver clean-burning Alaska gas for Americans, our military, and our allies in the Asia-Pacific, like Japan. Alaskans stand ready to work with the Trump administration, Japan and the private sector to realize a dream that we have been pursuing for almost half a century.”

    “President Trump has been a steadfast supporter of Alaska and its ability to be the solution to many of America’s issues through its vast natural resources, its geopolitical position in the Arctic and Pacific, and Alaska’s ability to help its Asian neighbors such as Japan, with 60 years of clean burning natural gas,” said Gov. Dunleavy. “As we move this project along, we look forward to working with President Trump, Japanese officials, and others to put project agreements in place ASAP. Thank you, President Trump!”

    In the last few months, Sen. Sullivan has directly pitched the importance of the Alaska LNG Project to President Trump and all of his incoming cabinet officials and members of his national security team. Sen. Sullivan has utilized a document, “America’s Gasline,” highlighting the project’s unique advantages to America and our Asia-Pacific allies. On his first day in office, President Trump signed a comprehensive Alaska-specific executive order, “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential,” which declared the Alaska LNG Project a top priority of the Trump administration. Sen. Sullivan and Gov. Dunleavy have been working closely with the incoming Trump administration for weeks on this critically important EO for Alaska and both Sullivan and Dunleavy are very appreciative of the President and his team for listening to and singling out Alaska in a very positive way on day one.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Relief to Louisiana Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by the Winter Storm

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that low interest federal disaster loans are now available to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Louisiana who sustained economic losses caused by the January 2025 winter storm that occurred Jan. 21-24. The SBA issued a disaster declaration in response to a request received from Gov. Jeff Landry on Feb. 4.

    This disaster declaration covers the counties and parishes of Acadia, Ascension, Assumption, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John The Baptist, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington and West Baton Rouge in Louisiana, as well as Amite and Pike counties in Mississippi, and Newton and Orange counties in Texas.

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs that suffered financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business did not suffer any physical damage. They may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred.

    Loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates of 4% for small businesses and 3.625% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. The SBA determines eligibility and sets loan amount and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition. Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement.

    Beginning Friday, Feb.7, SBA customer service representatives will be on hand at a Virtual Business Recovery Center to answer questions about SBA’s disaster loan program, explain the application process and help individuals complete their application.

    Virtual Business Recovery Center
    Mondays – Fridays
    8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. PST
    FOCWAssistance@sba.gov
    (916) 461-7673

    Closed on Monday, Feb. 17 for President’s Day

    The SBA encourages applicants to submit their loan applications promptly. Applications will be prioritized in the order they are received, and the SBA remains committed to processing them as efficiently as possible.

    To apply online visit SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to apply for economic injury is Nov. 25.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow, expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito, Colleagues Highlight Cost-Saving Public Buildings and Federal Office Space Reforms to Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, joined several of her congressional colleagues in sending a letter to the Trump administration highlighting provisions, signed into law last month as part of the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), that provided authority for the Trump administration to right-size the Federal real estate portfolio, saving money for the U.S. tax payer.

    In the letter addressed to Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Russell Vought, Acting Administrator of the General Service Administration (GSA) Stephen Ehikian, and Commissioner of the Public Building Service Michael Peters, the lawmakers refer to the “Public Buildings Reforms” provisions location in Title III of Division B of WRDA 2024. This title of the law gives the administration new authorities to improve the management of the federal government’s real estate portfolio, address the inefficient utilization of federal office space, and require federal agencies to bring employees back to the office or lose office space.

    “To maximize the effectiveness of these provisions, it is critical that implementation begins as soon as possible to meet deadlines and take full advantage of the authorities provided to the administration in this legislation,” the lawmakers wrote.

    “Even if 100 percent of the Federal employees returned to the office, the taxpayer would still be paying for excess space. For example, one agency that was the subject of GAO’s 2023 review reported that, even if all their employees came into the office on the same day, only 67 percent of their headquarters building would be utilized,” the lawmakers continued.

    BACKGROUND:

    Chairman Capito was joined in sending this letter by U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Chairman of the EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee, and Representatives Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee, and Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Chairman of the T&I Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee.

    In 2023, the GAO conducted a review of the utilization of 24 agency headquarters buildings to understand how the federal government is utilizing its real estate portfolio. The report showed that on average, 17 of the 24 agency headquarters reviewed were at 25 percent or less utilization, with some agencies as low as nine percent.  

    Since the publication of the GAO report, the Committee leaders have been working to increase utilization of Federal office space and offload buildings and leases that are unused or underused. In the letter, the Committee leaders point out that the public buildings reforms included in WRDA 2024 aim to do exactly that.

    Full text of the letter is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Leads Multistate Coalition in Suing to Stop Elon Musk and DOGE’s Attacks on Americans

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 18 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration to stop the unauthorized disclosure of Americans’ private information and sensitive data. Attorney General James’ lawsuit asserts that the Trump administration illegally provided Elon Musk and the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)” unauthorized access to the Treasury Department’s central payment system, and therefore to Americans’ most sensitive personal information, including bank account details and Social Security numbers. This expanded access could allow Musk and his team to block federal funds to states and programs providing health care, childcare, and other critical services. With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition of attorneys general are seeking to stop the Trump administration’s new policy that illegally grants DOGE, Musk, and others access to Americans’ confidential information and the U.S. Treasury’s payment systems.

    “As the richest man in the world, Elon Musk is not used to being told ‘no,’ but in our country, no one is above the law,” said Attorney General James. “President Trump does not have the power to give away Americans’ private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress. Musk and DOGE have no authority to access Americans’ private information and some of our country’s most sensitive data. I am taking action to keep our information secure, and to prevent any unconstitutional freeze on essential funding that Americans rely on every day.”

    Beginning February 2, 2025, the Trump administration’s Treasury Department adopted a new policy that grants “special government employees,” including Elon Musk and members of DOGE, access to its central payment system operated by the Bureau of Fiscal Services (BFS). This central payment system controls vital funding that millions of Americans depend on, including Social Security payments, veteran’s benefits, Medicare and Medicaid payments, and more. The payment system also controls billions of dollars that states rely on to support essential services like law enforcement, public education, and infrastructure repairs.

    Access to BFS is limited by federal law to a select group of career civil servants with the appropriate security clearances. Attorney General James and the coalition assert the Treasury Department’s new policy, which expands access to BFS’s payment system, violates the law, jeopardizes Americans’ most sensitive personal information, and would allow Elon Musk and other unauthorized political appointees to access a system that could permit them to freeze federal funds with the click of a button in violation of the Constitution.

    With this lawsuit, Attorney General James and the coalition of attorneys general are seeking an injunction preventing the Trump administration from continuing its new policy of expanded access to BFS’s payment system, as well as a declaration that the Treasury Department’s policy change is unlawful and unconstitutional.

    [embedded content]

    Joining Attorney General James in filing the lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.

    This matter is being handled by Special Counsel Andrew Amer, Special Counsel for Complex Litigation Colleen Faherty, and Special Counsel for Federal Initiatives Rabia Muqaddam, under the supervision of First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: All Extradited Distributors of ANOM Hardened Encrypted Devices Plead Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Alexander Dmitrienko of Finland became the last of eight defendants extradited so far to admit participating in the worldwide conspiracy to distribute ANOM hardened encrypted communication devices to criminal syndicates. The ANOM enterprise facilitated drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice crimes.

    The eight defendants were among 17 indicted in San Diego in 2021 in connection with Operation Trojan Shield, a first-of-its-kind, international law enforcement effort in which the FBI secretly operated an encrypted messaging network. The ANOM criminal enterprise was responsible for the distribution of more than 12,000 devices in 100 countries. While ANOM’s criminal users unknowingly communicated on the system operated by law enforcement, agents catalogued more than 27 million messages between users around the world whose criminal discussions were covertly obtained and reviewed by the FBI.

    ANOM devices were sold to and used by over 300 criminal syndicates, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, Italian and Balkan organized crime groups, and international drug trafficking organizations. The investigation culminated in a worldwide takedown on June 7, 2021. During the takedown, more than 10,000 law enforcement officers made over 500 arrests and searched over 700 locations around the world.

    Of the 17 indicted in San Diego, eight have been extradited to date. Dmitrienko pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday; defendants Seyyed Hossein Hosseini and Aurangzeb Ayub of the Netherlands and Shane Ngakuru of New Zealand entered their guilty pleas on January 23, 2025; Dragan Nikitovic, Edwin Harmendra Kumar, Miwand Zakhimi, and Osemah Elhassen pleaded guilty between May and September 2024. All pleaded guilty to Count 1 of a superseding indictment charging them with a racketeering conspiracy in connection with the ANOM enterprise.

    Prior to their guilty pleas, the defendants filed motions to dismiss the indictment and a motion to suppress the ANOM evidence. The District Court denied those motions, concluding the Fourth Amendment did not apply to the defendants and the ANOM data collection did not violate the U.S. Constitution.

    In total, the investigation resulted in approximately 1,200 arrests; the seizure of more than 12 tons of cocaine, three tons of methamphetamine or amphetamines; 17 tons of precursor chemicals, 300 firearms, and $58 million in various currencies. Dozens of public corruption investigations, too, have been pursued, and more than 50 drug labs have been dismantled. Further, over 150 threats to life were prevented.

    According to their plea agreements, the defendants promoted the ANOM platform as “Built by criminals for criminals,” and touted security features such as the ability to wipe devices remotely when seized by law enforcement. The defendants admitted that the conspiracy’s purposes included money laundering and laundering with cryptocurrency. As to drugs, specifically, the four defendants who pleaded guilty in January and February 2025—Hosseini, Dmitrienko, Ayub, and Ngakuru—all admitted that they sold ANOM devices knowing that they would be used to traffic at last 50 kilograms of cocaine; Ngakuru also admitted the importation, exportation, and distribution of at least five kilograms of methamphetamine. Based on their plea agreements and other court filings, what these defendants also did as part of the conspiracy included:

    • Hosseini was a part of a team of ANOM distributors, “Team Wijzijn,” based in the Netherlands. He and Dmitrienko discussed the distribution of “90% pure, Peruvian” cocaine, for example, and he and Kumar messaged each other about bringing “kilos” from Belgium and getting drugs to Australia by “Fisher boats.” Hosseini promoted ANOM’s security features and told other distributors about vulnerabilities of competitors SkyECC and No. 1 BC. Hosseini also admitted to obstructing justice through wiping ANOM devices when they were seized by law enforcement.
    • Dmitrienko distributed ANOM devices from Spain. He frequently used ANOM for cocaine and other drug distribution: “5 blocks of colombian coke” and “32 blocks,” he offered in two instances, in addition to conversations about “cook[ing] cocaine.” Dmitrienko wrote about “gateways” and “interesting opportunities” for the enterprise in Russia and Ukraine, including through Latvia and Lithuania. He also promoted money laundering through a company he had in Delaware, telling Hosseini that it involved “0% tax and no book[k]eeping…Yes this is pure moneylaund[e]ring 😂.”
    • Ayub was an ANOM distributor in Europe, who also sold encrypted communications devices in the U.A.E.—and he had been imprisoned in Dubai for distributing these types of platforms. Ayub was involved in cocaine distribution as he talked about “top” (cocaine) from Colombia, and delivery to London, and sending “100k at a time” to pay for the drugs. He promoted ANOM through his own experience and contrasts with Encrochat and SkyECC, both of which were taken down by law enforcement in 2020 and 2021. Ayub, too, admitted to the obstruction of justice through wiping ANOM devices.
    • Ngakuru was based in Thailand, distributing ANOM devices there and in New Zealand and Australia. He used the platform for extensive cocaine and methamphetamine distribution and money laundering. He was tied to two seizures of methamphetamine; discussed quality, repressing, and prices for “rack” and “bird” (cocaine); and detailed in messages how seven kilograms of methamphetamine was concealed in boxes of “full scan proof” “commercial lights.” Among other times he laundered proceeds, Ngakuru coordinated cash pickup in Sydney, Australia and directed deposits into “Thai accounts.”

    “The statistics of this case are staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The FBI led this unprecedented collaboration for years, harnessing the evidence to bring down cocaine, meth, and cash traffickers across the globe. These guilty pleas underscore the impact of international partnerships in dismantling organized crime.”

    “Operation Trojan Shield was a massive, innovative, and unprecedented case having immeasurable implications to criminal organizations across the globe,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “This extraordinary impact came from an investigative strategy that relied on ingenuity, partnerships, and perseverance, designing a blueprint for disrupting organized crime within the United States and abroad. The guilty pleas of all extradited defendants highlight the effectiveness of this strategy and reinforces the FBI’s collaborative approach aimed at dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations worldwide.”

    Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Los Angeles Field Division, said, “The triumph of this vast-scale operation demonstrates the immense value of partnerships, both domestic and international. Expert investigators in the DEA Los Angeles Division, working alongside innovative and exceptionally experienced federal and foreign-based partners, took an intricate investigation to the next level. Our multi-agency alliance managed to infiltrate these transnational criminal organizations, ultimately exposing and pummeling their schemes. DEA will continue to foster this type of unprecedented collaboration and offer a core presence.”

    Elhassen and Zakhimi were previously sentenced to 63 and 60 months in prison, respectively. The other six defendants who have pleaded guilty are scheduled to be sentenced in February, April, and May, 2025. They were extradited to the Southern District of California from Australia (Kumar), Colombia (Elhassen), The Netherlands (Hosseini, Ayub, and Zakhimi), Spain (Dmitrienko and Nikitovic), and Thailand (Ngakuru). Eight other defendants in the case have been arrested in locations outside the United States and are yet to be extradited, and one remains a fugitive.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua C. Mellor, Mikaela L. Weber, and Peter S. Horn.

    For further information on investigations and prosecutions of encrypted communication providers, see https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fbi-s-encrypted-phone-platform-infiltrated-hundreds-criminal-syndicates-result-massive (ANOM), https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/sky-global-executive-and-associate-indicted-providing-encrypted-communication-devices (Sky Global), and https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/chief-executive-communications-company-sentenced-prison-providing-encryption-services (Phantom Secure).

    Operation Trojan Shield is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of the defendants to the United States.

    DEFENDANTS                                 Case Number 21cr1623-JLS                                   

    Seyyed Hossein Hosseini                   Age: 41                       The Netherlands

    Alexander Dmitrienko                        Age: 49                       Finland

    Aurangzeb Ayub                                 Age: 48                       The Netherlands

    Dragan Nikitovic                                Age: 50                       Croatia and Switzerland

     aka Dr. Djek

    Shane Ngakuru                                   Age: 45                       New Zealand

    Edwin Harmendra Kumar,                  Age: 37                       Australia

     aka Edwin Harmendra Valentine

    Miwand Zakhimi,                               Age: 30                       The Netherlands

     aka Maiwand Zakhimi

    Osemah Elhassen                                Age: 52                       Australia

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Count 1: Racketeering Conspiracy – Title 18, United States Code, Section 1962(d)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison, and fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    Drug Enforcement Administration

    United States Marshals Service

    Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs

    Australian Federal Police

    Swedish Police Authority

    Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau

    National Police of the Netherlands

    Office of the Attorney General of Thailand

    Royal Thai Police

    EUROPOL

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Establishment of The White House Faith Office

    Source: The White House

         By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and to assist faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship in their efforts to strengthen American families, promote work and self-sufficiency, and protect religious liberty, it is hereby ordered:

         Section 1.  Policy.  Faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship have tremendous ability to serve individuals, families, and communities through means that are different from those of government and with capacity and effectiveness that often exceeds that of government.  These organizations lift people up, keep families strong, and solve problems at the local level.  The executive branch wants faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to compete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs, and other Federal funding opportunities.  The efforts of faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship are essential to strengthening families and revitalizing communities, and the Federal Government welcomes opportunities to partner with such organizations through innovative, measurable, and outcome-driven initiatives.
    The executive branch is committed to ensuring that all executive departments and agencies (agencies) honor and enforce the Constitution’s guarantee of religious liberty and to ending any form of religious discrimination by the Federal Government.

         Sec. 2.  Amendments to Executive Orders.  (a)  Executive Order 13198 of January 29, 2001 (Agency Responsibilities With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives); Executive Order 13279 of December 12, 2002 (Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations), as amended by Executive Order 13559 of November 17, 2010 (Fundamental Principles and Policymaking Criteria for Partnerships With Faith-Based and Other Neighborhood Organizations); Executive Order 13280 of December 12, 2002 (Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture and the Agency for International Development With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives); Executive Order 13342 of June 1, 2004 (Responsibilities of the Departments of Commerce and Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives); and Executive Order 13397 of March 7, 2006 (Responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives), are hereby amended by:
              (i)   substituting “White House Faith Office” for “White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives” or “White House OFBCI” each time it appears in those orders; and
              (ii)  substituting “Center for Faith” for “Center for Faith-based and Community Initiatives,” and “Centers for Faith” for “Centers for Faith-based and Community Initiatives” each time they appear in those orders.
              (b)  Executive Order 13279, as amended by Executive Order 13559, is further amended by striking section 2(h) and redesignating sections 2(i) and 2(j) as sections 2(h) and 2(i), respectively.
         
         Sec. 3.  Establishment of the White House Faith Office.  (a)  There is established within the Executive Office of the President (EOP) the White House Faith Office (Office).  The Office shall have lead responsibility in the executive branch to empower faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to serve families and communities.
    (b)  The Office shall be housed in the Domestic Policy Council and headed by a Senior Advisor to the White House Faith Office, and supported by other positions as the President considers appropriate.  In carrying out this order, the Office shall work with the Domestic Policy Council, the Office of Public Liaison, and the Centers for Faith established by Executive Order 13198, Executive Order 13280, Executive Order 13342, and Executive Order 13397, as amended by section 2(a)(ii) of this order.

         Sec. 4.  White House Faith Office Functions.  (a)  To the extent permitted by law, the Office shall:
         (i)     from time to time, consult with and seek information from experts and various faith and community leaders identified by the White House Faith Office and other EOP components, including those from outside the Federal Government and those from State, local, and Tribal governments.  These experts and leaders shall be identified based on their expertise in a broad range of areas in which faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship operate, including protecting women and children; strengthening marriage and family; lifting up individuals through work and self-sufficiency, defending religious liberty; combatting anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and additional forms of anti-religious bias; promoting foster care and adoption programs in partnership with faith-based entities; providing wholesome and effective education; preventing and reducing crime and facilitating prisoner reentry; promoting recovery from substance use disorder; and fostering flourishing minds;
         (ii)    make recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, regarding changes to policies, programs, and practices, and aspects of my Administration’s policy agenda, that affect the ability of faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to serve families and communities;
         (iii)   convene meetings with representatives from the Centers for Faith and other representatives from across agencies as appropriate;
         (iv)    advise on the implementation throughout the Federal Government of those aspects of my Administration’s policy agenda aimed at enabling faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship to better serve families and communities;
         (v)     showcase innovative initiatives by faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship that serve and strengthen individuals, families, and communities throughout the United States;
         (vi)    coordinate with all agencies to implement training and education throughout the country for faith-based entity grantees to build their capacity to procure grants;
         (vii)   support agencies in developing and implementing training and education regarding religious liberty exceptions, accommodations, or exemptions;
         (viii)  consult with public and private businesses regarding their policies for employee volunteerism, charitable giving, and payroll deductions;
         (ix)    coordinate with agencies on identifying and promoting grant opportunities for non-profit faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship, especially those inexperienced with public funding but that operate effective programs;
         (x)     work in collaboration with the Attorney General, or a designee of the Attorney General, to identify concerns raised by faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship about any failures of the executive branch to enforce constitutional and Federal statutory protections for religious liberty; and
         (xi)    identify and propose means to reduce burdens on the free exercise of religion, including legislative, regulatory, and other barriers to the full and active participation of faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship in government-funded or government-conducted activities and programs.
         (b)  Agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide such information, support, and assistance to the Office as may assist the Office in fulfilling this order.  
         (c)  The Directors of each Center of Faith shall oversee their respective agency’s efforts to assist the Office in carrying out this order, and shall report on such efforts to agency leadership and the Office.  Agencies that lack a Center for Faith shall designate or appoint a Faith Liaison within the agency to oversee the agency’s efforts to assist the Office in carrying out this order and to report on such efforts to agency leadership and the Office.  All such agencies shall designate or appoint such a Faith Liaison within 90 days of the date of this order.

         Sec. 5.  Severability.  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

         Sec. 6. General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
     
     
     
     
     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        February 7, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Trump Announces Appointments to the White House Faith Office

    Source: The White House

    President Donald Trump announced appointments to the White House Faith Office.

    Pastor Paula White-Cain will return to the White House as a Special Government Employee and Senior Advisor of the newly created White House Faith Office. In the last 40 years, White-Cain has expanded her influence globally in almost 200 countries, ministering, fighting for religious freedom and humanitarian rights, and advocating for the voiceless. She is the founder and president of Paula White Ministries and National Faith Advisory Board. She is president of City Destiny and the overseer and a teaching pastor at StoryLife Church in Florida. Paula previously served an advisor to President Trump in the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative. She also served as chairwoman of the Evangelical Advisory Board (2016). Paula is a celebrated New York Times best-selling author, teacher, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, mentor, popular TV personality, and spirit-led preacher of God’s Word. She is married to legendary singer/songwriter Jonathan Cain of the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Journey.

    Jennifer S. Korn will return to the White House as a Deputy Assistant to the President and Faith Director of the newly created White House Faith Office after serving as Senior Advisor of National Faith Advisory Board, America’s largest faith coalition. Korn previously served President Trump all four years as Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison and during the 2016 Presidential Election leading Latino, Minority, Faith, Veteran and other coalition engagement for historic gains among these communities. Korn has served two decades working to elect officials and implement policies at the national and state levels to improve the lives of these important constituencies. Korn is also a proud military spouse.
     
    Jackson Lane will join the White House as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Faith Engagement after serving as the Deputy Director of Faith Outreach for the Trump-Vance 2024 Campaign.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Addressing Egregious Actions of The Republic of South Africa

    Source: The White House

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

         Section 1.  Purpose.  In shocking disregard of its citizens’ rights, the Republic of South Africa (South Africa) recently enacted Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 (Act), to enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.  This Act follows countless government policies designed to dismantle equal opportunity in employment, education, and business, and hateful rhetoric and government actions fueling disproportionate violence against racially disfavored landowners.
    In addition, South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies, including accusing Israel, not Hamas, of genocide in the International Court of Justice, and reinvigorating its relations with Iran to develop commercial, military, and nuclear arrangements.  

         The United States cannot support the government of South Africa’s commission of rights violations in its country or its ‘undermining United States foreign policy, which poses national security threats to our Nation, our allies, our African partners, and our interests.

         Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States that, as long as South Africa continues these unjust and immoral practices that harm our Nation:
              (a)  the United States shall not provide aid or assistance to South Africa; and
              (b)  the United States shall promote the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees escaping government-sponsored race-based discrimination, including racially discriminatory property confiscation.

         Sec. 3.  Assistance.  (a)  All executive departments and agencies (agencies), including the United States Agency for International Development, shall, to the maximum extent allowed by law, halt foreign aid or assistance delivered or provided to South Africa, and shall promptly exercise all available authorities and discretion to halt such aid or assistance.
              (b)  The head of each agency may permit the provision of any such foreign aid or assistance that, in the discretion of the relevant agency head, is necessary or appropriate. 

         Sec. 4.  Refugee Resettlement and Other Humanitarian Considerations.  The Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take appropriate steps, consistent with law, to prioritize humanitarian relief, including admission and resettlement through the United States Refugee Admissions Program, for Afrikaners in South Africa who are victims of unjust racial discrimination.  Such plan shall be submitted to the President through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor.

         Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: 
              (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or 
              (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 
         (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. 
         (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        February 7, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration Over DOGE’s Unlawful Access to Americans’ Personal Information

    Source: US State of California

    DOGE access blatantly violates Americans’ right to privacy

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to expand access to data maintained by the Treasury Department’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service (BFS). In today’s lawsuit, 19 attorneys general argue that this executive action has allowed people associated with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access Americans’ personal and private information, including bank account and social security numbers. The lawsuit seeks to immediately halt improper access to this sensitive information while litigation proceeds. 

    “President Trump’s and the Treasury Department’s actions to allow DOGE access to Americans’ private information is chilling and unconstitutional — and Americans are paying attention,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Millions entrust the federal government to carry out vital operations that people rely on every day. In doing so, we also entrust them with our sensitive and personal information. This week’s action is a breach of that trust and a gross and blatant power grab. The President does not hold the power to give Americans’ bank account and social security numbers to anyone he’d like. I am proud to stand with attorneys general around the country to demand the immediate halt to this violation of both trust and law.”

    Since Inauguration Day, DOGE has infiltrated executive agencies with the goal of eliminating federal funding, services, and personnel. Starting last week, there have been reports of billionaire Elon Musk and his DOGE associates gaining an unprecedented level of access to vital payment systems of the U.S. Treasury, which provide access to Americans’ extremely sensitive information, like social security numbers. 

    The Treasury Department payment systems — managed by BFS — are responsible for trillions of dollars in U.S. government payments. Millions of Americans rely on the support of these payments for services like health care, childcare, and other essential programs, like Social Security, Medicare benefits, veteran’s benefits, salaries for federal employees, and tax refunds. The Treasury Department’s payment systems are critical, sensitive, and incredibly vital. Given their critical importance to U.S. government operations, these systems have been highly regulated and tightly guarded — but with the election of Donald Trump, are no longer safe. 

    In the complaint filed today, the attorneys general allege the Trump Administration has no constitutional, statutory, or regulatory authority to widen access to the BFS payment system for political appointees or special government employees, including members of DOGE. As such, the attorneys general seek both a temporary restraining order to immediately stop this practice and a permanent injunction barring political appointees, special government employees, and any government employee from an agency outside the Treasury Department from accessing BFS systems and Americans’ private personally identifying information. 

    In filing the lawsuit today, Attorney General Bonta is joined by the attorneys general of New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin. 

    A copy of the complaint can be found here. A copy of the request for a temporary restraining order can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man Sentenced for Sweepstakes Scam Targeting Elderly

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Fabrisio Arias was sentenced in federal court today to 41 months in prison for his part in an international scam that tricked seniors into believing they’d won a sweepstakes prize, but first they had to pay a fee or tax to release their winnings.

    At today’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta also ordered Arias to pay $395,536.05 in restitution to 22 victims.

    According to his plea agreement, between November 2020 and September 2022, Arias was a member of an international conspiracy that defrauded victims in the United States and laundered large amounts of money.

    The conspiracy involved scammers who contacted victims by phone and convinced them to send thousands of dollars to Arias’ home in Fontana, California; and Arias, who laundered the proceeds through his U.S.-based bank accounts. Arias received and transferred most of the ill-gotten gains to coconspirators in Costa Rica, and in the process concealed the nature, source, location, ownership and control of the proceeds.

    The phone scammers in Costa Rica made unsolicited calls to elderly victims in the United States using spoofed numbers. This allowed callers to conceal their identity and make it appear as if the calls originated from locations in the United States.

    During calls with victims, the scammers purported to be with the Internal Revenue Service or the  Federal Trade Commission, and made victims believe they’d won a sweepstakes award or prize and had to pay a fee or tax to release the winnings. The scammers instructed victims to send cashier’s checks, blank money orders or cash to Arias, who scammers falsely identified as a government CPA.

    In reality, there was no sweepstakes prize or award. Arias simply received the fraud proceeds, deposited them into his U.S.-based bank accounts, and notified his co-conspirators in Costa Rica when he received the proceeds. Co-conspirators then contacted the victims again, attempting to convince and pressure them to send more money to release the purported winnings.

    According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Arias received 200 cashier’s checks and blank money orders from at least 22 victims throughout the U.S. Arias concealed the proceeds and made them appear legitimate by writing false payor names, signatures, and memo line entries on money orders and by commingling the proceeds with funds from his nightclub and used-car businesses. Arias also concealed the proceeds he sent to his co-conspirators in Costa Rica and made them appear legitimate by placing false information on at least 30 wire transfers, claiming the payments were for used cars, a house, or family support.

    The victims – many of whom were in their seventies, eighties, or nineties – suffered financial hardship as a result of the scheme. To make ends meet, one victim had to obtain a reverse mortgage on his home; another had to take money from a family member’s college fund; and another had to return to work after retirement. Several victims lost their life savings, including a victim whose entire 401(k) retirement account was drained.

    Arias received and laundered more than $395,000 in fraud proceeds over the course of nearly two years and sent more than $237,000 of proceeds to his co-conspirators in Costa Rica. Arias kept a substantial portion of the remaining $157,000 as profit.

    “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “These schemes can be difficult to identify and very appealing – when in doubt, hang up the phone and report suspicious callers to law enforcement.”

    “Victimizing taxpayers by impersonating IRS employees is a serious crime,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Knarr. “TIGTA and our law enforcement partners will do everything within our power to ensure that those involved in the impersonation of IRS employees are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” 

    “The consequences of this type of fraud scheme are far reaching, affecting not only people in the United States, but also across the world,” said Los Angeles Division U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Matt Shields. “This investigation is just another example of how effective law enforcement agencies can be when they join forces. By working together, we can keep our communities and our vulnerable populations safe from financial exploitation. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is proud to be at the forefront of the fight against fraud and Postal Inspectors will continue to adapt to the ever changing landscape to stop the scammers and protect our customers.”

    This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.

    If you think you’ve been contacted by a scammer, report it quickly to the FBI at IC3.gov. There is a team standing by. The faster the report comes in, the more likely we are to stop the transaction and recover your money.

    For other non-life-threatening emergencies, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11, or go to the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative website for more information: www.justice.gov/elderjustice.

    DEFENDANT                                   Case Number 22-cr-2745-JO           

    Fabrisio Arias                                     Age: 46                                   Fontana, CA

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371

    Maximum penalty: Five years in prison; a maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest; and a term of supervised release up to 3 years

    Concealment Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison; a maximum $500,000 fine or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greatest

    INVESTIGATING AGENCIES

    U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)

    U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Los Angeles Division

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Joins Colleagues from Both Parties in Calling for Quick Implementation of the Social Security Fairness Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    In December, Senator Rosen Helped Pass The Social Security Fairness Act To Allow Public Employees To Fully Access Their Social Security Benefits
    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues in calling on the Trump Administration to immediately implement the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act, which Senator Rosen helped pass in December. This law provides full Social Security benefits for millions of public employees that were otherwise barred from accessing them. 
    “The Social Security Fairness Act restores full Social Security benefits for the millions of teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other public servants who are unfairly penalized by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO),” wrote the senators. 
    “The Social Security Administration’s website currently states, ‘SSA expects that it could take more than one year to adjust benefits and pay all retroactive benefits’ owed under the Social Security Fairness Act,” they continued. ‘We call for the immediate implementation of this legislation to provide prompt relief to the millions of Americans impacted by WEP and GPO.” 
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a staunch supporter of critical programs like Social Security and Medicare. She has vocally and repeatedly called to protect them and the benefits they provide to Nevadans. Last Congress, she renewed her commitment to fight against any attempts in Congress to cut Social Security and Medicare.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Helps Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reunite Filipino World War II Veterans with Their Children

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped introduce bipartisan legislation to expedite the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans. Despite their service, Filipino World War II veterans were not granted citizenship until 1990, and their children still face long backlogs in obtaining a visa to reunite with their parents. The bipartisan Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to exempt the sons and daughters of Filipino World II veterans who were naturalized from global limits. Nevada is home to one of the largest Filipino-American communities in the United States.
    “Filipino veterans served our country admirably during World War II, but outdated laws have prevented them from reuniting with their loved ones in the United States,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to expedite visa processing for the children of these heroes to ensure they can reunite. I’ll always push to honor our veterans for their service to our nation.”
    Senator Rosen has worked consistently to deliver for Nevada’s veterans. Earlier this year, she announced that a bipartisan bill she backed to expand veterans benefits outreach became law. Senator Rosen’s bipartisan legislation to require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to maintain a permanent helpline for veterans to use for information on VA services is now law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. She also successfully pushed President Biden to include the construction of a new VA hospital in Reno in his 2024 Budget Request and helped introduce and pass bipartisan legislation to officially authorize its construction.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Murray, DeLauro Blast Trump Administration on Halt of Vital Work at Nation’s Largest Public Health Agency

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, and Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03), Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, in calling out the Trump Administration for the chaos and confusion they have unleashed by pausing communications and critical work, groundbreaking research, and funding for programs Americans rely on at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The legislators also demanded answers from the Trump Administration on the funding freeze that has impacted Medicaid, Head Start and other vital services in their states.

    “The Department’s issuance of internal guidance combined with implementation of sweeping Executive Orders has unleashed significant confusion and hindered the Department’s mission to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans,” wrote the legislators in a letter to Dorothy A. Fink, M.D., Acting Secretary of HHS.

    The legislators outlined their concerns that HHS has paused external communications for weeks that give Americans basic information about the spread of diseases and viruses that impact their communities. As communities across the country deal with avian flu, the Centers for Disease paused the release of a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from January 16 to February 6, the first time in decades that this basic public health communication for states and local communities did not go out. The National Institutes of Health was also forced to cancel over 50 critical meetings, resulting in delays for tens of thousands of grant applications and delaying lifesaving biomedical research and clinical trials across the country.

    Meanwhile on the ground in communities across the country, community health centers have been unable to reach anyone at the Health Resources and Services Administration who can help them access the federal funds that they are owed, while public health data that researchers and local doctors rely on was removed from CDC’s website.

    The legislators also rebuked the Trump Administration for the chaos and confusion caused by an Office of Management and Budget memo that called for a halt on federal funding of agency grant, loan, and other financial assistance programs. While that memo was later rescinded and courts stepped in to pause the freeze on spending, significant confusion and ongoing disruptions in federal funding remain. The legislators warned against continued efforts to override Congress, especially the delay or termination of grants through programs already secured and passed in bipartisan spending legislation.

    “The Department’s actions over the last two weeks have done nothing to improve the health of Americans. They have disrupted early childhood education for our youngest children. They have put at risk opioid prevention and treatment programs and led to domestic violence programs wondering how they can keep their doors open and phones on,” the legislators continued. “They have delayed biomedical research and clinical trials for lifesaving cures for deadly diseases. We are deeply concerned this is a precursor of actions to come from this Administration.”

    Given the lack of transparency or clear communication from HHS, the legislators concluded by demanding more information about the full scope of the HHS communications pause and further information on their plan to implement the flurry of Executive Orders from the Trump Administration in its first few weeks. The legislators requested a response by no later than February 10, 2025. A full list of their questions is available below.

    A full version of this letter is available here and below.

    Dear Acting Secretary Fink,

    We write with serious concerns about actions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (the Department) since January 20, 2025, including a pause in external communications and lack of transparency regarding the Administration’s funding freeze. The Department’s issuance of internal guidance combined with implementation of sweeping Executive Orders has unleashed significant confusion and hindered the Department’s mission to enhance the health and well-being of all Americans.

    On the first full day of the Trump Administration, you sent a memo, “at the direction of the new Administration” to the heads of HHS operating and staff divisions implementing an immediate pause on issuing documents and public communications. Although you noted in the memo that these directives were consistent with precedent, they are clearly more far reaching, restrictive and long-standing than any limitations on communication that have been implemented during previous transitions. As a result, CDC did not issue its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for two weeks, the first time in decades this basic public health communication to states and local communities has not been published. A February 20-21 meeting (notably outside the scope of the “temporary” pause that was supposed to be in effect until February 1) of CDC’s National Vaccine Advisory Committee, which advises HHS leadership on vaccine policy, was cancelled.  The National Institutes of Health cancelled more than 53 FACA meetings, including at least 10 Advisory Committee meetings and innumerable peer review sections, holding up tens of thousands of grant applications and delaying lifesaving biomedical research and clinical trials across the country. Community health centers have been unable to reach anyone at the Health Resources and Services Administration who can help them access the federal funds that they are owed. Public health data that researchers and practitioners rely on was removed from CDC’s website.

    In addition to this internal memo, over the last two weeks the Administration has issued sweeping Executive Orders (EOs) that directly implicate HHS and its programs, and sought to disrupt funding in a manner that far exceeds the President’s legal authority. The Office of Management and Budget issued a memo on January 27 (M-25-13) to heads of executive Departments and agencies directing them to broadly freeze federal funding of agency grant, loan, and other financial assistance programs. While that memo was later rescinded and courts quickly issued Temporary Restraining Orders against its implementation and any freeze, pause, cancelation, or termination of existing grant funding related to recent EOs, it created significant confusion and ongoing disruptions in federal funding. Attempts to illegally pause federal funding led to a nationwide outage of HHS payment management systems including Medicaid portals in all 50 states and organizations continue to have problems accessing their grant funds this week, including Head Start programs and community health centers. Compounding this problem, grantees are largely unable to get answers from their program officers or agency contacts, apparently because of restrictions on external communications. 

    In the midst of this confusion, HHS has begun implementing Trump Administration EOs, many of which focus on broadly undefined terms and provide little concrete information for grantees or Congress. This includes directives to federal grant recipients that they must comply with various EOs which has created more confusion and uncertainty among Federal grant recipients tasked with carrying out HHS’ broad mission. The Department has also provided no information to the Committees on Appropriations regarding how it is implementing EOs that seek to directly alter the availability and uses of funds provided in prior appropriations acts.

    Finally, while we are focused on the most immediate issues created by the Administration’s actions, we are also concerned about continued, ongoing restrictions on HHS grantmaking and communications and the impact they will have on families and communities if they persist for the remainder of the fiscal year. The cancellation of HHS advisory committee meetings and study sections has already delayed the grant making process and impacted tens of thousands of research grants. Implementation of the Trump Administration’s EOs has already delayed the posting of scores of funding opportunity announcements and the awarding of new grants. This not only slows biomedical innovation and destabilizes national security, but it jeopardizes the health and wellbeing of every American. This is particularly concerning given the Administration’s stated intentions to impound federal funding for activities it simply does not support.

    The Department’s actions over the last two weeks have done nothing to improve the health of Americans. They have disrupted early childhood education for our youngest children. They have put at risk opioid prevention and treatment programs and led to domestic violence programs wondering how they can keep their doors open and phones on. They have delayed biomedical research and clinical trials for lifesaving cures for deadly diseases. We are deeply concerned this is a precursor of actions to come from this Administration. Given the tremendous importance and reach of HHS programs, and the lack of transparency over the Department’s actions to date, we write to request additional information. Because most of these questions have been previously provided in writing we request a prompt response by no later than February 10, 2025 at 5pm.

    Regarding the memo issued on January 21, 2025, directing an immediate pause on issuing documents and public communications:

    1. What restrictions on issuing documents and public communications are currently in place as a result of this memo?
    1. Are there any restrictions on communications with Members of Congress and/or Congressional staff, including Appropriations Committee staff? Are there any restrictions on communicating with existing grantees?
    1. Does the directive to pause issuing documents and public communication apply to any part of the grant making process, including the release of notices of award, notices of funding opportunities (NOFOs), or any part of the peer review process? If so, does the Department expect any delay in the awarding of grant funds or posting of funding opportunity announcements? Please provide the total number of grant applications and NOFOs impacted, broken down by agency.
    1. Has the directive to pause issuing documents and public communication resulted in the delay of FACA meetings, including advisory meetings or councils, or peer review sections? If so, please provide the total number of meetings and study sections impacted, broken down by agency. When do you expect any paused activities to resume?
    1. Does the guidance to pause external communications and public documents apply to public health information, including the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)?
    1. Does the guidance to pause external communications, or any subsequent guidance provided through acquisition alerts issued by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, apply to communications between HHS personnel and private vendors for the purposes of acquisition, procurement, or contracting of goods or services necessary to carry out activities under existing grant awards or contracts?
    1. Does the guidance to pause external communications apply to communications between HHS personnel and current grant recipients that are eligible to exercise grant extensions? 

    Regarding Executive Orders:

    1. Describe all actions taken and planned to be taken to implement the Executive Order (EO) “Withdrawing the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO)”, including addressing the specific questions below:
      1. Will the directive to “pause the future transfer of any United States Government funds, support, or resources to the WHO” impact ongoing cooperative agreements between HHS and WHO in the interim between the announcement and the official withdrawal? 
      2. What new activities will HHS have to assume that are currently a function of the United States’ participation in WHO in response to Section 2 (d)(iii) of this EO?
    1. Describe all actions taken and planned to be taken to implement Executive Order “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”, including addressing the specific questions below:
      1. How will HHS “assess grant conditions and grantee preferences and ensure grant funds do not promote gender ideology”? How is HHS defining “promote gender ideology”?
      2. Will this assessment include a review of existing grant awards/contracts where funding has already been obligated? 
      3. What if any guidance has been provided to existing grantees/contractors regarding implementation of this EO? If guidance has been provided has it been provided to all grantees or just select grantees? If it’s only been provided to select grantees how was it determined which grantees would receive guidance?
      4. How does HHS plan to implement this EO with regard to future funding opportunities? 
    1. Describe all actions taken and planned to be taken to implement Executive Orders “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing” and “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity”, including addressing the specific questions below:
      1. How is HHS identifying offices, positions, initiatives, programs, grants, or contracts implicated by this EO? How is HHS defining equity actions and equity-related grants or contracts?
      2. Provide a list of all offices, positions, initiatives, programs, grants, or contracts that have been identified or terminated as a result of this EO.
      3. What if any guidance has been provided to existing grantees/contractors regarding implementation of these EOs?  If guidance has been provided has it been provided to all grantees or just select grantees? If it has only been provided to select grantees how was it determined which grantees would receive guidance?
    1. How does HHS plan to conduct the Position Reviews referenced in OPM’s memo, “Guidance on Implementing President Trump’s Executive Order titled, ‘Restoring Accountability To Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce’”?        
    1. In response to any Executive Orders issued to date, or as a result of any other administrative action, has HHS issued stop work orders on existing grants/contracts or imposed new restrictions on existing grants/contracts? If so, please explain. 
    1. In response to Executive Orders issued to date, or as a result of any other administrative action, does HHS expect delays in awarding new, renewal or continuation grants relative to the timelines of previous years?
    1. Describe in detail the timeline of events since January 20, 2025 that led to widespread problems with grantees being unable to draw down or access their grant funds from HHS’ Payment Management System in a timely manner, including ongoing problems as of today. When was HHS first aware of problems and what was the cause of them?  When will issues with HHS’ Payment Management System be resolved and what efforts are being made to ensure it is operational as soon as possible?

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to End Harmful Freeze on Health Communications and Funding

    US Senate News:

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

    Padilla, Schiff, Colleagues Call on Trump Administration to End Harmful Freeze on Health Communications and Funding

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) joined Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and a group of 30 other Senators in calling on Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink to end the unprecedented freeze on all external health communications and funding.

    This freeze has disrupted clinical trials, prevented the National Institutes of Health and other agencies from engaging with patient groups and scientific advisory committees, and delayed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) — the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates — for the first time in over 60 years. This political interference in public health agencies is an unprecedented, dangerous threat to public health.

    With the Administration’s own deadline already having passed, it remains unclear when these restrictions will be lifted.

    “We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),” wrote the Senators. “The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.”

    “This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable,” continued the Senators. “… The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision.”

    In addition to Senators Padilla, Schiff, Klobuchar, and Sanders, the letter was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    After the Trump Administration paused crucial communications from federal health agencies last month, Senator Padilla joined Senator Schatz in introducing a resolution calling for uninterrupted health warning services for the American people.

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear Acting Secretary Fink:

    We write to express our deep concern over the Administration’s recent decision to freeze external communications and suspend federal health funding at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The abrupt order has already disrupted patient care, public health oversight, halted medical research funding, and obstructed critical regulatory processes.

    On January 22, all 13 HHS operating divisions – including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were told to immediately “pause” all external communications and grant disbursements until at least February 1, with no clear plan for restoration. This directive prohibits agencies from issuing public health advisories, publishing scientific reports, updating websites, announcing regulatory decisions, or conducting outreach to patient groups – unless such activity is explicitly approved by politically appointed leadership.

    With the Administration’s own deadline having passed, it remains unclear when these restrictions will be lifted. While limited exceptions exist for critical health, safety, or national security concerns, the freeze has already severely impeded essential public health and biomedical research functions.

    The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the nation’s premier publication for disseminating public health updates, was abruptly delayed for the first time in over 60 years, limiting reporting on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak and other emerging infectious disease threats. The MMWR often includes clinical recommendations for doctors, such as guidance on how to treat diseases that are currently circulating in the United States – and delaying the MMWR means that doctors may not have all the latest information they need to keep their patients healthy.

    At the NIH, new clinical trials have been delayed and external peer-review grant processes have faced disruptions. NIH study sections – which legally must review grant applications before funding can be disbursed – were initially canceled, creating uncertainty about when federal research funds will be awarded. Despite efforts by the Administration to provide clarity, it remains unclear whether the full peer-review process has resumed and how long grant funding decisions will continue to be delayed. This uncertainty has placed billions in federal research funds in limbo, directly threatening ongoing medical studies and academic research programs.

    The freeze has also blocked NIH from engaging with patient groups on ways to recruit participants into ongoing clinical trials. This means that patients with rare diseases, cancer, and other serious conditions who rely on clinical trials for treatments may be prevented from enrolling, directly jeopardizing their access to life-saving care.

    This political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented and unacceptable. While it is not unusual for a new administration to conduct brief reviews of existing programs, no past transition has implemented a blanket freeze of this magnitude.

    Accordingly, we request an immediate and detailed response to the following questions by Monday, February 10:

    1. Provide a full accounting of all scientific reports, disease surveillance updates, grant decisions, public health advisories, events, calls, research reviews, reports, issue briefs, inspections, surveys, and postings that have been postponed or cancelled since noon on January 20.

    2. Which of the postponed or cancelled items will be rescheduled or published, and by what date?

    3. Has the pause affected communications between HHS and other federal Departments or state agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture. If so, in what capacity?

    4. Can you confirm that all external communications, including those listed above in your answer to the first question, have already resumed or will resume by February 10? If not, please provide a detailed explanation for any continued delay.

    5. Has the communications and funding freeze affected the department’s ability to respond promptly to public health threats and ongoing outbreaks? If so, in what ways?

    6. Given that we are at the height of virus season, how has this pause affected the department’s ability to fulfill its core mission of protecting public health?

    The American people depend on HHS agencies to provide accurate, real-time information about disease outbreaks, medical research, and regulatory decisions. We urge you to immediately reverse this harmful decision.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this request. We look forward to your response and to working with the Department to protect public health and ensure Americans can get the care they need.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Leads Fellow SFRC Democrats in Demanding Answers from Secretary Rubio on How Much Evacuating USAID Workers Overseas Will Cost American Taxpayers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    February 07, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—led her fellow SFRC Democratic colleagues in demanding immediate answers from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on how much it will cost American taxpayers to pull USAID workers off the job overseas and relocate them back to the United States. In their letter, the lawmakers underscored that the Trump Administration’s attacks on USAID are not only likely illegal, but also counterproductive to U.S. interests and actually cost our country more money despite the Administration’s so-called claim that this move will cut costs. By helping reduce global instability that contributes to conflict and mass migration, USAID’s development work is critical in protecting our national security in addition to saving lives. The lawmakers’ letter comes amid news that the Trump Administration plans to cull the USAID global workforce from about 10,000 individuals to just under 300.

    In their letter, the lawmakers wrote: “While any new administration has a right to review programs, you do not have authority to unilaterally dismantle USAID, an independent agency created and funded by federal law, and destroy its infrastructure and workforce in a manner that would be difficult and even more costly to repair, despite how critical they are to our national security.”

    “We are incredulous that any such plan, which would come with great logistical challenges and cost to taxpayers, could be lawfully organized and funded under current requirements,” the lawmakers continued. “Public reporting that an appointee under your direction suggested that the military would step in if the impossible deadlines that were set for this global retreat were not met raises even more questions about how these appointees would be authorized to obligate U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funds and manpower, at the direct cost of our military readiness.”

    The lawmakers are requesting immediate answers to 14 questions about the costs and legality of the decision to force the return of the global USAID workforce and their families to return to the United States, including: “What is the expected cost of the forced recall of USAID staff from overseas locations?” and “What is the estimated cost to DoD in dollars and in manhours required to support this evacuation?”

    Along with Duckworth, the letter is co-signed by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Chris Coons (D-DE).

    A copy of the full letter is available on the Senator’s website and below:

    Dear Secretary Rubio:

    We write with escalating concern about the spiral of destabilizing and likely illegal orders drafted by officials under your direct authority and often approved by you, with said orders providing directives to the global workforce of USAID. While any new administration has a right to review programs, you do not have authority to unilaterally dismantle USAID, an independent agency created and funded by federal law, and destroy its infrastructure and workforce in a manner that would be difficult and even more costly to repair, despite how critical they are to our national security.

    The February 4, 2025, communication to USAID staff announcing administrative leave for the global USAID workforce, along with a declaration that the Agency is working on a plan to force and fund the return of the global workforce—including their family members—raises a series of urgent questions to which Congress is owed immediate answers. While your directive suggests that exceptions will be granted for designated programs and personnel with extenuating circumstances, the necessary guidance hasn’t been provided and many personnel have already been cut off from their emails with little way to seek clarity. We are incredulous that any such plan, which would come with great logistical challenges and cost to taxpayers, could be lawfully organized and funded under current requirements. Public reporting that an appointee under your direction suggested that the military would step in if the impossible deadlines that were set for this global retreat were not met raises even more questions about how these appointees would be authorized to obligate U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) funds and manpower, at the direct cost of our military readiness.

    We are extremely skeptical about the legal authority under which such an evacuation may be undertaken but also the counterproductive and inefficient nature of the order.

    Therefore, we request answers to the following series of questions. We look forward to your response no later than February 12, 2025.

    1. What is the expected cost of the forced recall of USAID staff from overseas locations? Please detail the estimated cost of transportation for staff, for dependents, for obligated but unused housing and all other anticipated costs separately.
    2. From what accounts is this funding expected to be withdrawn, and under what authority would the Agency use funding in this manner?
    3. What are the terms of leases for office space that will be impacted by this forced recall, how quickly do you anticipate terminating them and how many months of rent for unused office space will U.S. taxpayers pay for?
    4. Please name the “applicable requirements and laws” to be taken into consideration in planning the evacuation, as referenced in the notification to all USAID staff.
    5. What specific congressional funding directives will go unmet as a result of the forced withdrawal of these personnel?
    6. Given the abrupt nature of the forced recall of USAID staff, what plans would the Agency have to provide a resettlement allowance for resettled staff and what amount is intended for that allowance?
    7. From what accounts would such resettlement allowances be withdrawn and under what authority would the Agency use funding in this manner?
    8. Who is responsible for making case-by-case determinations as referenced in the announcement to all USAID staff, by name and office? What accommodations will be available to those with medical and familial needs?
    9. What is the specific process for requesting and evaluating those determinations and what is the timeline for these decisions?
    10. What coordination is happening with DoD regarding potential support for evacuations?
    11. Who at DoD is responsible for this coordination, by name and by office?
    12. Under what authority is DoD potentially providing assistance for this evacuation?
    13. What specific platforms and assets are being requested of DoD to support this evacuation and how would their capabilities and responsibilities be covered while on this task deviating from their normal mission set?
    14. What is the estimated cost to DoD in dollars and in manhours required to support this evacuation?

    An abrupt withdrawal of overseas personnel for this critical agency directly contradicts your statements during your confirmation that the United States needs to show up and be engaged as we work to counter our adversaries around the world, in support of our own national security. The work of development is critical to this national security mission, as it reduces drivers of global instability that contribute to conflict and mass migration, in addition to saving lives. This preventative action comes at a low cost to the taxpayer for the value provided, and a literal retreat from this global mission would amount to burning taxpayer dollars and even military readiness for an emergency of your own making. Images of withdrawal would provide a defining and lasting stain on the United States’ reputation and our failures, and we urge you to shift course.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Premier Tim Houston

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    NOTE: The following is a statement from Premier Tim Houston

    Today, Nova Scotians have another unfortunate reminder of the dangers of working on the sea as the fishing vessel Fortune Pride capsized in the waters near Sambro last night.

    I want to express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the souls we lost – you are in my thoughts and prayers as are the two fishers who survived this heartbreaking tragedy.

    The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Halifax responded last night to the emergency and continued its efforts today.

    I want to commend the Canadian Coast Guard vessels, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax, and everyone involved in the response to this emergency.

    I would like all those affected by this terrible incident to know that I – and all Nova Scotians – are thinking of you at this difficult time.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trump Administration Withholding Critical Infrastructure Funding, Making Colorado Roads Less Safe, Costing People Time & Money

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis released the following statement on the Trump administration withholding critical funding, including for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, that makes Colorado roads safer and supports infrastructure like charging stations for wildly popular electric vehicles. This misguided move to withhold NEVI funding comes on the heels of a memo from the Department of Transportation that threatened to prioritize transportation and infrastructure funding for states with higher birth and marriage rates which would put politics above fixing potholes.

    “Fresh off their ludicrous attempt to tie highway funding to birthrates, the Trump administration is attacking the freedom to move, including the freedom to drive, and putting their own agendas above what Americans and the market are demanding.  Coloradans want more charging stations to support the many electric vehicles they are choosing to buy and to drive across our state. Electric vehicles save money, are quiet and fun to drive, driver demand for electric vehicles in our state is high, and the market has rewarded Colorado for breaking down barriers, making it easier for hardworking people to own these vehicles,” said Governor Polis.

    NEVI builds on the many successful efforts happening at the state level, and provides important resources to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help meet the extensive demand of Coloradans who are choosing to drive electric across our vast road network. Colorado recently opened the first NEVI fast-chargers for Coloradans and visitors from across the country, with many more under contract and on the way.

    “New guidance from the federal highway administration would seem to stop work on many of the contracts that have already been signed, which would mean stopping companies from work they have already started to deliver the charging infrastructure that Coloradans want, in places people want to go. This would be unfortunate since rapidly rising EV sales are putting high demand on the current supply of chargers along our vast roadway network,” said Shoshana Lew, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Transportation.

    Last week, Colorado joined with other states to successfully bring a temporary restraining order (TRO) to unfreeze federal funds and make them available for this important work. Earlier today, the State of Colorado, along with 22 other states and the District of Columbia, filed a Motion for Preliminary Injunction to require federal agencies to release funds that were withheld based on instructions from the Office of Management and Budget and related Executive Orders, and also also filed a Request for Emergency Relief to Enforce Temporary Restraining Order.

    Colorado is the national leader in electric vehicle adoption, with EVs making up 31.5% of new car sales last quarter. Coloradans are purchasing electric vehicles at a higher rate than any other state because EVs offer so much upside. The State is committed to ongoing investment in convenient and reliable access to EV charging as more Coloradans are switching to EVs to reduce emissions and save money on fuel and maintenance costs.

    Overall, EVs have 60% to 68% lower lifetime emissions compared to gas-powered vehicles. EVs are also a quiet, great ride, and people know that these electric vehicles protect our clean air. Consumers in Colorado and across the country have made it clear: electric vehicles are here to stay, and demand will continue to grow.

    Colorado has granted more than $33.6 million in congressionally approved NEVI funds to add 364 new fast-charging ports at 61 sites through the DCFC Plazas Grant program. The Polis administration has contracted for two rounds of projects and announced awards for a third in late-December. Many of these projects will start construction this Spring. Two NEVI-funded sites have opened to date, with numerous more sites anticipated to open in 2025.

    ###

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Adds Montrose County to Disaster Emergency Due to Flooding and Debris Flow

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, Governor Polis amended a 2024 Executive Order concerning the disaster emergency for flooding and debris flow in Ouray County to include Montrose County.

    The same storm system that impacted Ouray County also damaged a bridge in Montrose County carrying CO 141 over the Dolores River. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is working to repair the bridge before spring runoff to prevent a closure that could cause a four hour detour, impacting the residents of Norwood, Nucla, and Naturita. The amendment to the Executive Order will assist CDOT with securing federal funding to repair the bridge.

    Here is the updated Executive Order.

    ###
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Strong Winter Storms Expected Through Sunday

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on two winter storms expected to impact areas throughout the State today through Sunday. The first storm arrived earlier today and is impacting Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. The second storm will be more widespread and is expected to affect much of the State Saturday through Sunday. Snowfall rates of up to two inches per hour on Friday and one inch per hour on Saturday in the heaviest bands may create hazardous travel conditions. People should monitor local forecasts and take precautions when traveling.

    “Our State resources are ready and mobilized to keep New Yorkers safe as we respond to this next round of winter weather, and we will continue coordinating with our local partners throughout the storm including taking steps to facilitate emergency salt deliveries,” Governor Hochul said. “Monitoring your local forecast is critical — especially when traveling — and I encourage all New Yorkers to exercise caution as weather conditions can be unpredictable, and many warnings and watches are in effect.”

    The Governor also signed an Executive Order today declaring a State of Emergency, allowing the State to coordinate and share resources with local governments affected by upcoming storms. This includes the State Department of Transportation, which will provide assistance to municipalities impacted by the State of Emergency in excess of existing shared service agreements. The order also waives “hours of service” requirements for truck drivers to facilitate emergency salt deliveries ahead of these storms and includes other measures to facilitate emergency salt deliveries to State and local agencies across the State.

    Today’s storm will impact most of the State through Friday evening, including areas from Herkimer to Oswego County with up to four inches of snow and peak accumulations up to ten inches in some areas. Peak snowfall rates of up to two inches per hour can be expected and may impact commutes in Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. Winds could gust up to 45 miles per hour in some locations, which will produce blowing and drifting snow.

    The second storm begins Saturday afternoon and is forecast to continue through Sunday afternoon. Widespread snow will fall across the State with the potential for moderate to heavy accumulations of up to seven or more inches of snow from Central New York to the Capital Region. A widespread three to six inches of snow is expected north of the Thruway with snowfall rates potentially exceeding one inch per hour. Wind gusts are expected to remain below 35 miles per hour with isolated gusts of up to 40 mph. For New York City and Long Island, heavy mixed precipitation is possible with total snow and sleet accumulations between three to five inches and ice accumulations around a light glaze possible through Sunday morning.

    There are several lake effect snow warnings and winter storm watches in place for multiple locations through Sunday. For a complete listing of weather alerts, visit the National Weather Service website. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for emergency alerts by subscribing to NY Alert — a free service providing critical emergency information to your cell phone or computer.

    Agency Preparations

    New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
    The Division’s Office of Emergency Management is in contact with their local counterparts and is prepared to facilitate requests for assistance. State stockpiles are staffed and ready to deploy emergency response assets and supplies as needed. The State Watch Center is monitoring the storm track and statewide impacts closely. Winter preparedness tips can be found here.

    New York State Department of Transportation
    The State Department of Transportation is monitoring weather conditions and prepared to respond with 3,701 supervisors and operators available statewide. All field staff are available to fully engage and respond. All available response equipment is ready to deploy and all residencies in impacted locations will remain staffed for 24/7 operations with operators, supervisors, and mechanics throughout the duration of the event and priority cleanup operations.

    Statewide equipment numbers are as follows:

    • 1,642 large plow trucks
    • 353 large loaders
    • 157 medium duty plows
    • 53 tow plows
    • 35 snow blowers
    • 19 graders

    The need for additional resources will be re-evaluated as conditions warrant throughout the event. For real-time travel information, motorists should call 511 or visit 511ny.org, New York State’s official traffic and travel information source.

    Thruway Authority
    The Thruway Authority is monitoring the forecast and ready to respond with 689 operators and supervisors available. Statewide equipment numbers and resources are listed below:

    • 352 large and medium duty plow trucks
    • 9 tow plows
    • 67 loaders
    • 99,000+ tons of salt on hand

    Variable Message Signs and social media — X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook — are utilized to alert motorists of winter weather conditions on the Thruway.

    New this snow and ice season, all of the Thruway’s more than 250 heavy-duty plow trucks are equipped with green hazard lights, complementing the standard amber hazard lights. Green lights are intended to improve visibility and enhance safety during winter operations, particularly in low-light conditions and poor weather. Drivers are reminded that Thruway snowplows travel at about 35 mph — which in many cases is slower than the posted speed limit — to ensure that salt being dispersed stays in the driving lanes and does not scatter off the roadways. The safest place for motorists is well behind the snowplows where the roadway is clear and treated.

    The Thruway Authority encourages motorists to download its mobile app which is available for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic information, live traffic cameras and navigation assistance while on the go. Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails and follow @ThruwayTraffic on X for the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway.

    New York State Department of Public Service
    New York’s utilities have about 5,500 workers available statewide to engage in damage assessment, response, repair and restoration efforts across New York State, as necessary. Agency staff will track utilities’ work throughout the event and ensure utilities shift appropriate staffing to regions that experience the greatest impact.

    New York State Police
    State Police have instructed all Troopers to remain vigilant and will deploy extra patrols to affected areas as needed. All four-wheel drive vehicles are in service and all specialty vehicles, including Utility Terrain Vehicles and snowmobiles, are staged and ready for deployment.

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
    DEC Emergency Management staff, Environmental Conservation Police Officers, Forest Rangers and regional staff remain on alert and continue to monitor the developing situation and weather forecasts. Working with partner agencies, DEC is prepared to coordinate resource deployment of all available assets, including first responders, to targeted areas in preparation for potential impacts due to snow.

    DEC reminds those responsible for the removal and disposal of snow to follow best management practices to help prevent flooding and reduce the potential for pollutants like salt, sand, oils, trash and other debris from affecting water quality. Disposal of snow in local creeks and streams can create ice dams, which may cause flooding. Public and private snow removal operators should be aware of these safety issues during and after winter storms. Additional information is available at Division of Water Technical and Operational Guidance Series: Snow Disposal.

    Unpredictable winter weather and storms in the Adirondacks, Catskills and other backcountry areas, can create unexpectedly hazardous conditions. Visitors should be prepared with proper clothing and equipment for snow, ice and the cold to ensure a safe winter experience. Snow depths range greatly throughout the Adirondacks, with the deepest snow at higher elevations in the High Peaks region and other mountains over 3,000 feet. Most lower elevation trails are frozen, including many trails in the Catskill Mountains.

    While some waterways are currently frozen, DEC advises outdoor enthusiasts to review ice safety guidelines before heading out.

    Hikers are advised to temporarily avoid all high-elevation trails as well as trails that cross rivers and streams. Hikers in the Adirondacks are encouraged to check the Adirondack Backcountry Information webpages for updates on trail conditions, seasonal road closures and general recreation information.

    Backcountry visitors should Hike Smart and follow proper safety guidelines. Plan trips accordingly. In an emergency, call 9-1-1. To request Forest Ranger assistance, call 1-833-NYS-RANGERS.

    Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
    New York State Park Police and park personnel are on alert and closely monitoring weather conditions and impacts. Response equipment is being fueled, tested and prepared for storm response use. Park visitors should visit parks.ny.gov, check the free mobile app, or call their local park office for the latest updates regarding park hours, openings and closings.

    Metropolitan Transportation Authority

    The MTA is closely monitoring weather conditions to ensure safe, reliable service. MTA employees will be poised to spread salt, clear platforms and stairs where ice exists, and keep signals, switches, and third rail operating, remove any downed trees that may fall across tracks, and attend to any weather-related challenges. MTA Bridges and Tunnels advises motorists to use caution when driving on icy roadways and drive at reduced speeds.

    Customers are encouraged to check https://new.mta.info for the latest service updates, and to use caution while navigating the system. Customers should also sign up for real-time service alerts via text or email. These alerts are also available via the MTA app and TrainTime app.

    Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

    The Port Authority monitors weather conditions across all its facilities. In the event of severe weather, the agency issues travel alerts and updates as needed via facility email alerts and on social media. For the latest information about Port Authority facilities, please check social media, sign up for PA Alerts or download one of the PA mobile apps, including RidePATH, which provides real-time updates and alerts for PATH service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed, Colleagues Demand Answers About Trump’s Efforts to Restrict & Undermine NSF-Funded Scientific Research

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – With several major sources of federal research funding in limbo after chaotic directives from the Trump Administration, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has been forced to pause grant review panels, re-examine previously awarded research funding, and initiate the process for dismissing a significant portion of the agency’s workforce.

    Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) joined with 24 colleagues in sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration injecting partisanship into scientific studies, obstructing critical research, potentially derailing the careers of promising American researchers, and attempting to undermine the U.S. scientific research ecosystem.  The Senators wrote to NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan “to express concern about funding delays and widespread confusion at universities and research organizations across the country, resulting from the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders.”  The lawmakers are demanding answers about actions that could damage advancements in scientific discovery and undermine NSF’s mission.

    “In light of NSF’s congressionally mandated mission, we are deeply concerned by recent reports that the Trump Administration’s memoranda and Executive Orders forced the NSF to pause all grant review panels, initiate a re-examination process for existing awards, and develop plans to dismiss a significant portion of the agency’s workforce within the next two months,” the 25 Senators wrote.

    The NSF is an independent federal agency with a $9 billion fiscal year 2024 (FY24) budget that is the funding source for about a quarter of federally supported basic research conducted by U.S. colleges and universities in a variety of fields such as mathematics, biology, computer science, engineering, physics, and marine sciences.  NSF also helps cultivate the nation’s STEM workforce of the future by strengthening academic partnerships and research opportunities with colleges and universities across the country.

    Earlier this month, NSF staff were forced to pause their regular work in order to examine whether any existing grants ran afoul of President Trump’s directive to halt programs aimed at addressing issues of diversity and historic systems of discrimination.

    “We believe these actions are having a devastating impact on our universities and their ability to sustain robust research programs, the Senators continued.  “These pauses will also undermine NSF’s competitive, peer-reviewed research selection process, and could result in a corrupt research system based on ideology and party loyalty rather than independent, scientific inquiry and intellectual integrity.”

    In FY24 alone, NSF awarded $57 million in federal funding to Rhode Island-based research projects. 

    NSF-funded research has helped contribute to numerous, diverse areas of scientific development and discovery, including medical imaging, kidney matching, Doppler radar, geographic information systems (GIS), sign language, and 3D printing.

    In addition to Senator Reed, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    The Senators demanded written responses to the following questions no later than February 13, 2025: 

    1.         Have agents of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency established a presence at NSF?  If so, what measures and directives have they established?  What access to NSF’s computer systems do they have?  Do they have sufficient clearances and background checks?

    2.         How much research funding has been placed on hold?

    3.         How many grant review panels has NSF canceled? 

    4.         Will all grant review panels be rescheduled?  If so, for when?

    5.         Will delays in grant approvals impact faculty and students who depend on NSF grants for financial support?

    6.         Is it standard practice for NSF to re-examine existing awards once a new administration takes office?

    7.         How many existing awards is NSF re-examining?

    8.         Will NSF terminate any existing awards?

    9.         Is NSF planning to dismiss “between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months,” as reported by E&E News? If so, what authorities enable the NSF to take this action?

    10.       How would NSF ensure that any reduction in force complies with the requirements of Division C, section 505 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–42)?

    11.       How will these proposed layoffs comply with the agency’s union agreements?

    Full text of the letter follows:

    Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan

    Director

    National Science Foundation

    2415 Eisenhower Ave

    Alexandria, VA 22314

    Dear Director Panchanathan:

    We write to express concern about funding delays and widespread confusion at universities and research organizations across the country, resulting from the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders. 

    In 1950, Congress established the National Science Foundation (NSF) as an independent federal agency to “promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense; and for other purposes.”  Since then, the NSF has served as a critical facilitator and funding source for U.S. research at universities, and has contributed to countless modern advancements – from medical imaging and kidney matching, to Doppler radar and geographic information systems (GIS), to sign language and 3D printing.  NSF’s achievements have relied on its longstanding, merit-based, independent approach to advancing scientific discovery. 

    In light of NSF’s congressionally mandated mission, we are deeply concerned by recent reports that the Trump Administration’s memoranda and Executive Orders forced the NSF to pause all grant review panels, initiate a re-examination process for existing awards, and develop plans to dismiss a significant portion of the agency’s workforce within the next two months.  We believe these actions are having a devastating impact on our universities and their ability to sustain robust research programs.  These pauses will also undermine NSF’s competitive, peer-reviewed research selection process, and could result in a corrupt research system based on ideology and party loyalty rather than independent, scientific inquiry and intellectual integrity.

    Given the severity of this threat, we request that you provide written answers to the following questions by February 13, 2025:

    1. Have agents of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency established a presence at NSF?  If so, what measures and directives have they established?  What access to NSF’s computer systems do they have?  Do they have sufficient clearances and background checks?
    2. How much research funding has been placed on hold?
    3. How many grant review panels has NSF canceled? 
    4. Will all grant review panels be rescheduled?  If so, for when?
    5. Will delays in grant approvals impact faculty and students who depend on NSF grants for financial support?
    6. Is it standard practice for NSF to re-examine existing awards once a new administration takes office?
    7. How many existing awards is NSF re-examining?
    8. Will NSF terminate any existing awards?
    9. Is NSF planning to dismiss “between a quarter and a half of its staff in the next two months,” as reported by E&E News? If so, what authorities enable the NSF to take this action?
    10. How would NSF ensure that any reduction in force complies with the requirements of Division C, section 505 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118–42)?
    11. How will these proposed layoffs comply with the agency’s union agreements?

    We appreciate your attention and prompt response to this important matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Protecting Second Amendment Rights

    Source: The White House

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

         Section 1.  Purpose.  The Second Amendment is an indispensable safeguard of security and liberty.  It has preserved the right of the American people to protect ourselves, our families, and our freedoms since the founding of our great Nation.  Because it is foundational to maintaining all other rights held by Americans, the right to keep and bear arms must not be infringed. 

         Sec. 2.  Plan of Action.  (a)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General shall examine all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies (agencies) to assess any ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens, and present a proposed plan of action to the President, through the Domestic Policy Advisor, to protect the Second Amendment rights of all Americans.
         (b)  In developing such proposed plan of action, the Attorney General shall review, at a minimum:
              (i)    All Presidential and agencies’ actions from January 2021 through January 2025 that purport to promote safety but may have impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens;
              (ii)   Rules promulgated by the Department of Justice, including by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, from January 2021 through January 2025 pertaining to firearms and/or Federal firearms licensees;
              (iii)  Agencies’ plans, orders, and actions regarding the so-called “enhanced regulatory enforcement policy” pertaining to firearms and/or Federal firearms licensees;
              (iv)   Reports and related documents issued by the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention;
              (v)    The positions taken by the United States in any and all ongoing and potential litigation that affects or could affect the ability of Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights;
              (vi)   Agencies’ classifications of firearms and ammunition; and
              (vii)  The processing of applications to make, manufacture, transfer, or export firearms.

         Sec. 3.  Implementation.  Upon submission of the proposed plan of action described in section 2 of this order, the Attorney General shall work with the Domestic Policy Advisor to finalize the plan of action and establish a process for implementation.

         Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
              (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
              (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
         (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
         (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Salvadoran national pleads guilty to illegal possession of a firearm

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Salvadoran national pled guilty today to unlawful possession of a firearm.

    According to court documents, on July 13, 2024, law enforcement responded to a report of a man brandishing a handgun at the Harmony Trailer Park. There, officers located Adalberto Rivas Machado, 20, who matched the description of the subject.

    When a uniformed officer exited his marked vehicle, Rivas Machado fled on foot but was detained after a short chase. During a subsequent pat-down, officers located the handgun in Rivas Machado’s sweatpants above his left ankle. The firearm was loaded with 9mm hollow point ammunition.

    Rivas Machado was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. Rivas Machado had illegally entered the United States and did not have any legal status in the country. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that he entered the United States without authorization as a juvenile in 2018 and an immigration judge ordered in 2019 that he be removed to El Salvador. Additionally, Rivas Machado could not possess a firearm because he was addicted to and an unlawful user of drugs. Rivas Machado admitted that he was addicted to fentanyl at the time he possessed the firearm. FCPD officers recovered fentanyl from him when he was arrested.

    Rivas Machado is scheduled to be sentenced on May 22 and faces up to 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kai Wah Chan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

    A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-221.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry after an Aggravated Felony

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Mexican national has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry to the United States after an aggravated felony conviction for a crime of violence, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.

    According to court documents, Jonathan Chavez-Galarza, 28,was removed from the United States on July 15, 2020, following his 2018 conviction in Hennepin County for second degree assault with a dangerous weapon. In that matter, Chavez-Galarza was convicted of stabbing a victim multiple times with a knife. The defendant was sentenced to – and served – a term of 36 months imprisonment for that offense, prior to his removal. On December 20, 2022, the defendant was removed a second time, following his conviction in the Southern District of Texas for illegal reentry. Following this last removal to Mexico, Chavez-Galarza knowingly, voluntarily, and unlawfully returned to the United States. Beginning on or around May 24, 2024, and several times afterwards, the defendant was observed near his residence in Minneapolis and around the Twin Cities Metro Area.

    Chavez-Galarza pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court before Judge Donovan W. Frank on one count of illegal reentry to the United States after commission of an aggravated felony.

    This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Marshals Service.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green is prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –