Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Feb. 7 — As the world ushers in the Year of the Snake on the Chinese lunar calendar, the Spring Festival has expanded beyond its traditional roots to become a global phenomenon, offering a window through which people around the world can learn about China’s cultural ethos and contemporary dynamism.
To mark the Chinese New Year, the London Eye was lit up in auspicious red, while Dubai’s Burj Khalifa dazzled with festive projections. Global iconic landmarks joined China in celebrating a millennia-old tradition. Additionally, the festival’s global imprint extends beyond the lights: dragon dances, temple fairs and other activities were held across the world.
This year’s Spring Festival is the first since its inscription on the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. The Chinese New Year is becoming a festival celebrated across the world. As nearly 20 nations recognize the Spring Festival as an official holiday and some 200 countries hold celebrations, this cultural event reflects humanity’s shared yearning for renewal and connection.
China’s expanded visa-free travel policies have amplified this cultural exchange, enabling more international travelers to visit China and immerse themselves in the festival’s rich customs.
Foreign visitors have experienced not just festive fireworks, but the profound values embedded in the tradition: familial bonds that transcend borders, the harmony between humanity and nature, and an emphasis on social cohesion. These values resonate across cultures, dismantle stereotypes and nurture mutual cultural appreciation.
“The Spring Festival Gala,” an annual TV program broadcast live and watched by billions worldwide, epitomizes China’s cultural appeal. The 2025 gala featured the performances of U.S. band OneRepublic and Peruvian artists, demonstrating artistic dialogue between East and West.
The televised extravaganza also offers a glimpse of the integration of tradition and modernity as well as technological progress in the country. AI-powered robots performed a synchronized dance in embroidered jackets during the show, showcasing China’s fusion of heritage and cutting-edge technology, and the openness, inclusiveness and innovation of Chinese culture.
Beyond culture, this year’s Spring Festival illuminated China’s economic resilience amid global economic headwinds.
The eight-day holiday saw year-on-year increases in tourist numbers and expenditure, as well as record box office revenue. Boosted by trade-in programs and other policies, the sales of home appliances and communication equipment at key retailers jumped during the festival, reflecting the vibrancy of China’s consumption market.
In Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes agility, wisdom and vitality. As the world is fraught with growing uncertainties and regional frictions, the Spring Festival, an age-old tradition that perpetually rejuvenates itself, serves as a unique portal to a dynamically evolving China.
Moreover, the values enshrined within the Spring Festival not only act as a guiding light for individuals, but also hold the potential to foster deeper mutual understanding among different cultures and promote world peace and prosperity.
UK and others regret cancellation of OSCE election observation and call on Tajikistan to engage constructively with ODIHR.
Mr. Chair,
I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and my own country Canada.
We thank the European Union for adding this item to the agenda today.
In Istanbul in 1999, participating States committed to invite observers to elections from other participating States, ODIHR, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and to follow up on ODIHR’s election assessment and recommendations.
In this context, we deeply regret that the authorities of Tajikistan have not accredited OSCE/ODIHR election observers in a timely manner, nor made assurances that they would do so.
This has resulted in the cancellation of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission for the upcoming parliamentary elections and has denied the people of Tajikistan an impartial and independent assessment of the elections.
As ODIHR has stated, host governments need to provide the necessary conditions for the effective and unrestricted operation of election observation missions. Prolonged uncertainty surrounding accreditation undermines the integrity of the process.
Fulfilling these necessary conditions is an integral part of meeting OSCE commitments on the invitation of observers. We regret that not all OSCE participating States have chosen to uphold their commitments in this regard.
We thank ODIHR for its efforts in preparing and deploying the Election Observation Mission to Tajikistan. We fully support ODIHR’s mandate, autonomy and their well-proven and objective election monitoring methodology.
We encourage Tajikistan to engage constructively with ODIHR on previous election recommendations, as well as on ODIHR’s support for meeting OSCE commitments to strengthen democracy and human rights, including on free, fair and genuine elections.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
WATCH: Senator Markey’s Remarks at EPA Headquarters
Washington (February 6, 2025) – Earlier today at Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters, Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), and Paul Tonko (NY-20) were denied a meeting with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and DOGE representatives, where the lawmakers planned to ask why funding to critical EPA programs for clean air, clean water and climate action have been unconstitutionally cut off to communities and to demand that the funding that has already been authorized and appropriated by Congress be rightfully unfrozen.
Despite multiple court orders requiring the restart of funding, Trump administration officials have failed to release billions of dollars at the EPA that were authorized and appropriated for Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and clean school bus programs as required by law—leaving communities without resources to combat the effects of dangerous pollution.
“Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their unqualified, unelected, unwanted henchmen want to dismantle the government services that keep our communities thriving, healthy, and safe from polluters,” said Senator Markey. “I went to the headquarters of the EPA to demand answers from Administrator Zeldin and the DOGE representatives who are illegally withholding funding that would keep air and water clean and help save families save money. After being denied access and a meeting, I left with more questions than answers. I will not stop fighting on behalf of the American people—their clean air, clean water, lower energy bills, and livable future–until I get those answers and funding gets restored. No business as usual. No votes for nominees. No illegal funding freeze. And no workers left behind.”
Congressmembers Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), and leaders and advocates from several environmental groups and unions including Climate Action Campaign, American Federation of Government Employees, Green New Deal Network, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Hip Hop Caucus, Union of Concerned Scientists, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Council of Churches, and Moms Clean Air Force joined the lawmakers for a press conference outside the EPA headquarters following the attempt to meet with EPA Administrator Zeldin and DOGE representatives.
07 February 2025 – Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (TSXV: FO, AIM: FOG) is pleased to announce the completion the Shenandoah S2-2H ST1 (“SS-2H ST1”) stimulation in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, Northern Territory, Australia with Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited’s joint venture partner, Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited.
Key Highlights
Successfully completed 35 stages across the 1,671-metre (5,483-feet) horizontal section of the Amungee Member B-shale with the Liberty Energy (NYSE: LBRT) modern stimulation equipment.
Stimulation activities achieved five stages over a 24-hour period on multiple days.
The average proppant intensity was 2,706 pounds per foot (lb/ft) and achieved wellhead injection rates above 100 barrels per minute.
The average stage spacing is 48-metres (~157-feet).
The SS-2H ST1 well will be completed ahead of clean out activities and the commencement of initial flow back and extended production testing.
Further updates on the completion of the Shenandoah South 4H (SS-4H) well will be provided in due course.
Philip O’Quigley, CEO of Falcon commented:
“We are extremely encouraged about the potential of the current stimulation program based on strong gas shows and other data observed whilst drilling. In addition, the experienced US operator, Liberty Energy, have shown the efficiencies they can achieve which will provide us with the greatest opportunity for the best possible outcomes from this stimulation program. We look forward to updating the market on the IP30 flow test results as soon as they become available.” Ends.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
+353 1 676 8702
Philip O’Quigley, CEO
+353 87 814 7042
Anne Flynn, CFO
+353 1 676 9162
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited(NOMAD & Broker)
Neil McDonald / Adam Rae
+44 131 220 9771
This announcement has been reviewed by Dr. Gábor Bada, Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd’s Technical Advisor. Dr. Bada obtained his geology degree at the Eötvös L. University in Budapest, Hungary and his PhD at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is a member of AAPG.
About Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is an international oil & gas company engaged in the exploration and development of unconventional oil and gas assets, with the current portfolio focused in Australia. Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd is incorporated in British Columbia, Canada and headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited is a c. 98% subsidiary of Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd.
For further information on Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. Please visit www.falconoilandgas.com
About Beetaloo Joint Venture (EP 76, 98 and 117)
Company
Interest
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia)
22.5%
Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited
77.5%
Total
100.0%
Shenandoah South Pilot Project -2 Drilling Space Units – 46,080 acres1
Company
Interest
Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited (Falcon Australia)
5.0%
Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited
95.0%
Total
100.0%
1Subject to the completion of the SS2HST1and SS4H wells on the Shenandoah South pad 2.
About Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited Tamboran (B1) Pty Limited (“Tamboran B1”) is the 100% holder of Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited, with Tamboran B1 being a 50:50 joint venture between Tamboran Resources Corporation and Daly Waters Energy, LP.
Tamboran Resources Corporation, is a natural gas company listed on the NYSE (TBN) and ASX (TBN). Tamboran is focused on playing a constructive role in the global energy transition towards a lower carbon future, by developing the significant low CO2 gas resource within the Beetaloo Basin through cutting-edge drilling and completion design technology as well as management’s experience in successfully commercialising unconventional shale in North America.
Bryan Sheffield of Daly Waters Energy, LP is a highly successful investor and has made significant returns in the US unconventional energy sector in the past. He was Founder of Parsley Energy Inc. (“PE”), an independent unconventional oil and gas producer in the Permian Basin, Texas and previously served as its Chairman and CEO. PE was acquired for over US$7 billion by Pioneer Natural Resources Company.
Advisory regarding forward-looking statements Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information typically contains statements with words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “projects”, “dependent”, “consider” “potential”, “scheduled”, “forecast”, “outlook”, “budget”, “hope”, “suggest”, “support” “planned”, “approximately”, “potential” or the negative of those terms or similar words suggesting future outcomes. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, details on the completion of the stimulation of SS-2H ST1; Liberty Energy conducting the stimulation campaign; and commencement of initial flow back and extended production testing and updates on SS-4H.
This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. The risks, assumptions and other factors that could influence actual results include risks associated with fluctuations in market prices for shale gas; risks related to the exploration, development and production of shale gas reserves; general economic, market and business conditions; substantial capital requirements; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of reserves and resources; extent of, and cost of compliance with, government laws and regulations and the effect of changes in such laws and regulations; the need to obtain regulatory approvals before development commences; environmental risks and hazards and the cost of compliance with environmental regulations; aboriginal claims; inherent risks and hazards with operations such as mechanical or pipe failure, cratering and other dangerous conditions; potential cost overruns, drilling wells is speculative, often involving significant costs that may be more than estimated and may not result in any discoveries; variations in foreign exchange rates; competition for capital, equipment, new leases, pipeline capacity and skilled personnel; the failure of the holder of licenses, leases and permits to meet requirements of such; changes in royalty regimes; failure to accurately estimate abandonment and reclamation costs; inaccurate estimates and assumptions by management and their joint venture partners; effectiveness of internal controls; the potential lack of available drilling equipment; failure to obtain or keep key personnel; title deficiencies; geo-political risks; and risk of litigation.
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive and that these factors and risks are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Falcon assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to Falcon. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Falcon’s filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedarplus.com, including under “Risk Factors” in the Annual Information Form.
Any references in this news release to initial production rates are useful in confirming the presence of hydrocarbons; however, such rates are not determinative of the rates at which such wells will continue production and decline thereafter and are not necessarily indicative of long-term performance or ultimate recovery. While encouraging, readers are cautioned not to place reliance on such rates in calculating the aggregate production for Falcon. Such rates are based on field estimates and may be based on limited data available at this time.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday exchanged congratulations with Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego over the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
Since China and Colombia established diplomatic relations 45 years ago, both sides have been pushing for the steady development of bilateral ties based on the principles of equality and mutual respect, said Xi.
Xi noted that in October 2023, Petro paid a successful state visit to China, during which the two heads of state had a fruitful meeting, and jointly announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries, guiding China-Colombia relations into a new era.
Colombia is an important country in Latin America and will assume the rotating presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States this year, said Xi.
Xi also said he attaches great importance to developing China-Colombia relations, and is willing to work with Petro to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries in efforts to jointly build a China-Latin America and the Caribbean community with a shared future.
In his message, Petro said the development of bilateral relations has witnessed fruitful results since the two sides established diplomatic ties, delivering benefits to the two peoples.
Frequent high-level visits have strongly boosted bilateral cooperation in various fields, and fostered a deeper bond between the two peoples, he said.
The Colombian president also noted that he paid a state visit to China after taking office, and bilateral ties have been steadily strengthened with the continuous increase of trade and investment.
Colombia is willing to work with China to jointly advance the global agenda of mutual concern, including world peace, energy transition and tackling climate change, he added.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Missile defense plays a key role in deterring and defeating adversary ballistic missiles and other threats against the United States, its allies, and American military forces overseas. In January, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) to build an Iron Dome for America, similar to Israel’s Iron Dome. The EO directs the implementation of a “next-generation missile defense shield for the United States against ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks.”
U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), chair of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) Airland Subcommittee and co-chair of the Defense Modernization Caucus, joined U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), a fellow SASC member, in introducing the Increasing Response Options and Deterrence of Missile Engagements (IRON DOME) Act today. The legislation will improve the missile defense capabilities of the United States.
Among other provisions, the bill requires the acceleration of the modernization and digitization of the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS), located at North Dakota’s Cavalier Space Force Station. PARCS is a single-faced, multi-function, UHF-Band, phased-array radar system which tracks over half of all earth-orbiting objects. The modernization of PARCS improves detection of intercontinental and sea-launched missile threats, as well as improve space domain awareness capabilities.
“Now more than ever, we have to ensure the United States is properly equipped to address the pressing threats that are posed by our very capable adversaries,” said Cramer.“Protecting the homeland is obviously our first Constitutional duty. The IRON DOME Act forces modernization of our missile defense systems from Alaska to North Dakota to Maine to Florida to California and back up to Alaska. This will ensure that we’re never caught off guard from a modern missile attack on our homeland.”
“For decades, American missile defense strategy has focused on protecting our country from ballistic missile threats posed by rogue nations or accidental launches from a peer nation,”said Sullivan. “We’ve made significant progress in recent years to strengthen this capability, notably through the implementation of my bipartisan 2017 Advancing America’s Missile Defense Act. But the proliferation of new hypersonic and cruise missile threats from our adversaries demands that we change this paradigm. Senator Cramer and I are introducing legislation to build a homeland missile defense system that can protect our country from the intensifying threats and growing arsenals of China and Russia. The IRON DOME Act dovetails with and reinforces President Trump’s historic ‘Iron Dome for America’ EO and builds upon a number of the recommendations from the 2022 Missile Defense Review. Specifically, our legislation invests billions of dollars to develop new capabilities, like space-based sensors and new intercept technologies, significantly expand and modernize existing infrastructure, like the ground-based missile interceptor fields at Alaska’s Fort Greely and North Dakota’s PARCS radar system, and integrate all aspects of U.S. missile defense, including Aegis. I urge my colleagues to join us in this initiative to meet the evolving missile threats on the horizon and deliver greater security for all Americans.”
Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
“Americans are being hung out to dry by Donald Trump and by Russ Vought, whose Project 2025 was clearly the inspiration for this dangerous funding freeze. This man is unfit to serve at the head of the agency that oversees our federal budget,”Cortez Masto said on the Senate floor before Mr. Vought’s confirmation vote.
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto voted against the confirmation of Russ Vought to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She also spoke on the Senate floor before the vote to discuss her opposition to Mr. Vought and the Trump Administration’s executive actions that are hurting Nevada families.
“Russ Vought authored Trump’s Project 2025 playbook, advocated slashing Medicaid, and doubled downs on false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. President Trump hasn’t even been in office for a month, and his OMB has already caused mass disruptions with its chaotic federal funding freeze. The last thing Nevadans need is a partisan OMB director who will act as a rubber stamp for Trump’s job-killing agenda and partisan power grab. I do not support Vought’s confirmation.”
Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Ranking Member Bernie Sanders (I-VT) led a group of 34 Senators calling on Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink to end the unprecedented freeze on all external 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. The political interference in public health agencies is unprecedented, unacceptable, and 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.
Klobuchar and Sanders were joined by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-MI), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
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.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, today spoke with United States Trade Representative (USTR) nominee Jamieson Greer about the need to move away from China on trade and unlock new export markets for long term stability.
During the hearing, Grassley emphasized the importance of reducing or eliminating Brazil’s tariff on American ethanol. Grassley also questioned Greer about USTR’s cooperation with the Department of Commerce on trade matters.
Video and excerpts of his questions follow.
[embedded content]
VIDEO
Brazilian Tariffs on American Ethanol:
“Brazil is a leading competitor with the United States on agriculture. One example is that Brazil has displaced the United States as the world leader in soybean production.
“Another issue with Brazil that I brought up to your predecessor, Ms. Tai, is the drastically unfair advantage Brazil has on ethanol. U.S. exporters face an 18% tariff on ethanol going to Brazil. However, Brazilian ethanol enjoys nearly duty-free access to the U.S. market.
“I hope you will address this trade imbalance with Brazil that Ambassador Tai wasn’t successful in doing: taking action to reduce or eliminate this harmful tariff on American ethanol.”
The Role of USTR and the Department of Commerce:
“Now that you and Mr. Lutnick have been nominees for several weeks, I’d like to know exactly how much authority do you have on trade matters relative to Mr. Lutnick and other cabinet members?”
Moving Away from China and Unlocking New Markets:
“I’d like to make a statement and see if you agree:
“While I think it is important to hold China to its obligations under the Phase 1 Agreement, I also fear it may keep us reliant on the Chinese markets. So, we need to be looking around the world at other markets.
“We need to balance our short-term profitability with long term stability.
“I have for a long time voiced my own concerns about unfair trade practices by China, and I hope that you and President Trump are successful in holding China accountable on issues including fentanyl, intellectual property theft and government subsidization of industries.
“That said, I believe we must pursue freer trade with other countries to create new markets so that we can move away from China without losing even more global market share of our commodities to Brazil and other countries.
“The free trade agreements that were negotiated under George W. Bush have resulted in large trade surpluses in key industries like agriculture and manufacturing. I think we need more free trade, and I know that President Trump is more interested in bilateral agreements than multi-state agreements.
“I think if we look away from Brazil and South Korea and Japan and China and [the European Union] as being problem countries for us on trade issues. But there’s so many other countries where, if we have these agreements — and I use George W. Bush as an example and his negotiator Allen Johnson — about 13 countries, probably six or seven different agreements with countries you don’t even think much about being significant in world trade, we’ve increased tremendously with these free trade agreements, our surpluses with those countries in trade.”
OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement ahead of a hearing on the state’s motion for a preliminary injunction in its challenge to President Trump’s unconstitutional executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship.
“Within hours of taking office, President Trump showed his blatant disregard for the limits of his authority under the law,” said Attorney General Bonta. “With his astonishing executive order to end birthright citizenship, the President is attempting to override the Fourteenth Amendment and unilaterally amend the U.S. Constitution. We’re in court to make the case for a preliminary injunction to prevent this order from taking effect while litigation proceeds. As the People’s Attorney, I am committed to ensuring the full rights of American-born children are upheld and respected.”
Background
In January 2025, Attorney General Bonta co-led a coalition of 18 state attorneys general and the City and County of San Francisco in filing a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump Administration’s unprecedented executive order, arguing that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution; violates Section 1401 of the Immigration and Nationality Act; and upends more than 125 years of Supreme Court precedent.
President Trump’s executive order, titled “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” attempts to declare that birthright citizenship does not extend to any child born in the United States whose mother is unlawfully present or lawfully present on a temporary basis and whose father is neither a U.S. citizen nor a lawful permanent resident. On this basis, all federal agencies were directed to treat these children as ineligible for any privilege, right, or benefit that is reserved by law to individuals that are U.S. citizens.
If allowed to stand, the executive order would strip tens of thousands of children born each year, including an estimated 24,500 in California, of their ability to fully and fairly be a part of American society as rightful citizens, with all its benefits and privileges. These children would lose their most basic rights and be forced to live under the threat of deportation. They would also lose their right to work, vote, serve on juries, and run for certain offices.
This executive order would also result in cuts to federal funding, directly harming California and other states who rely on such funding to provide essential services to the most vulnerable children living within their borders. This includes services like basic healthcare access for low-income children, foster care services for neglected and abused kids, and early interventions for infants, toddlers, and students with disabilities. In addition, states would be required — on little notice and at considerable expense — to immediately begin modifying their operation and administration of these benefits programs to account for this change by February 19, when the order goes into effect.
The states’ motion for a preliminary injunction will be heard at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET tomorrow, Friday, February 7, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. A link to the states’ reply in support of their motion for a preliminary injunction can be found here.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Feb 7, 2025 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook
Updated: Fri Feb 7 00:48:25 UTC 2025 (Print Version | | )
Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table
Forecast Discussion
SPC AC 070048
Day 1 Convective Outlook NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 0648 PM CST Thu Feb 06 2025
Valid 070100Z – 071200Z
…THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF EASTERN TN AND FAR SOUTHEAST KY/SOUTHWEST VA…
…SUMMARY… Isolated severe thunderstorms may persist through about Midnight EST in vicinity of eastern Tennessee and far southeast Kentucky/southwest Virginia.
…Eastern TN and far southeast KY/southwest VA… Messy and occasionally transient supercell structures are ongoing across parts of far southeast KY into eastern TN, amid a favorable deep-layer wind profile and moderate 0-1 km shear. Some increase in low-level wind speeds during the next couple hours should compensate for the rather veered flow and surface temperatures falling through the low to mid 60s. This could support a corridor of strong gusts and marginally severe hail, along with a brief tornado into late evening. See MCD 72 for further short-term information. Additional development farther to the southwest in Middle TN has thus far struggled to be maintained, but may yet form through about 03Z as the surface cold front moves east towards the southern Appalachians.
..Grams.. 02/07/2025
CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT
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Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Current Mesoscale DiscussionsUpdated: Fri Feb 7 04:30:03 UTC 2025 No Mesoscale Discussions are currently in effect.
Notice: The responsibility for Heavy Rain Mesoscale Discussions has been transferred to the Weather Prediction Center (WPC) on April 9, 2013. Click here for the Service Change Notice. Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.
Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated: Fri Feb 7 04:30:06 UTC 2025 No watches are currently valid
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Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), on Thursday joined their colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth calling for an investigation into whether landlords may be using property management software company RealPage’s services to price gouge military families.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) provides servicemembers with a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to cover the costs of owning or renting privately managed housing, an allowance that is adjusted periodically by region to keep up with housing costs. In 2023, DoD spent $24 billion on housing allowances for servicemembers.
There are long-held concerns that landlords are raising rents to pocket these BAH increases, rather than raising rents because of market conditions. One recent study even found that it was “common for landlords to base their rent on the BAH for a particular rank,” so servicemembers see no difference in their yearly income.
Services provided by RealPage may enable landlords to raise rents even more aggressively, to the detriment of military families, by allowing landlords to exchange proprietary information about lease terms and rents and to set prices using non-public information.
DOJ and state attorneys generals have already alleged that RealPage contributed to excessive rental costs in several places where DoD raised housing allowances, including Houston, San Diego, Spokane, and Wilmington. Florida has also opened an investigation into whether RealPage is violating antitrust laws; notably, military housing rents increased across Florida during 2022 and 2023 including in Miami, West Palm Beach, Volusia County, and Fort Myers Beach.
In addition to hurting military families, unsustainable housing prices have negative implications for recruitment and retention for our military. Increasing housing costs are forcing families to delay moves and choose housing in unsafe neighborhoods or with low-quality conditions. Unlike civilian families, military families “do not have the opportunity to stabilize their housing costs due to frequent relocation.”
A recent Government Accountability Office report on military housing confirmed the negative impacts of high housing prices, including servicemembers taking on debt or commuting long distances for quality housing.
“The Department of Defense has a responsibility to protect military families from predatory private housing companies and ensure that taxpayer dollars meant for military families are not being pocketed by unscrupulous landlords,” the senators wrote.
The senators requested that DoD provide information on whether algorithms like RealPage’s are artificially driving up housing prices for military families by February 13, 2025.
U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
Dear Secretary Hegseth:
In the wake of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent antitrust lawsuit against RealPage, joined by ten states across the country,1 we write with significant concern about whether companies and landlords using RealPage may be price gouging military families.
The Department of Defense (DoD) provides service members a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to cover the costs of owning or renting privately managed housing.2 But families continue to report that BAH rates are not keeping up with rising housing costs.3
In fiscal year 2023, DoD spent $24 billion on BAH.4 There are long-held concerns, however, that landlords are raising rents to pocket these BAH increases, rather than raising rents because of market conditions.5 One recent study found that it was “common for landlords to base their rent on the BAH for a particular rank.”6 These findings raise significant concerns that landlords are profiteering by taking taxpayer money that is intended to support military families.
Services provided by RealPage may enable landlords to raise rents even more aggressively to the detriment of military families. RealPage’s services YieldStar and AIRM help landlords exchange proprietary information about lease terms and rents in order to maximize revenue.7
In August 2024, the Justice Department and attorneys general in eight states filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging that RealPage engaged in an “unlawful scheme to decrease competition among landlords in apartment pricing and to monopolize the market for commercial revenue management software that landlords use to price apartments.”8 Last month, two more state attorneys general joined the suit, and the Justice Department expanded the lawsuit to six of the nation’s largest landlords.9 RealPage’s tactics allegedly included exerting significant pressure on landlords to accept their recommendations to increase prices, including an “auto accept” feature which automatically adjusted rents for property managers.10 If a landlord or property manager rejected a recommendation, a “pricing advisor” from RealPage allegedly reached out and pushed them to take the recommendation.11 In 2022, a vice president of RealPage credited their software for increasing apartment rents by over 14.5%.12
In 2022, DoD increased the BAH for 28 military housing areas where rental housing costs increased by an average of more than 20 percent.13 The lawsuit of DOJ and state attorneys general alleges that RealPage contributed to excessive rental costs in several of these places, including San Diego,14 Wilmington,15 and Houston.16 Similarly, in 2021, DoD selected Spokane, Washington as one of the five military housing areas to receive a temporary 20 percent BAH hike;17 the antitrust suit alleges that RealPage contributed to drastic increases in rent prices in this area, where Fairchild Air Force Base and Joint Base Lewis McChord are located.18 Florida has also opened an investigation into whether RealPage is violating antitrust laws; notably, military housing rents increased across Florida during 2022 and 2023 including in Miami, West Palm Beach, Volusia County, and Fort Myers Beach.19
In addition to harming military families, unsustainable housing prices have negative implications for recruitment and retention for the U.S. Armed Forces. Increasing housing costs have forced some families to delay permanent change of station moves and choose housing in unsafe neighborhoods or in unsatisfactory conditions. A recent military family lifestyle survey found that “housing costs remain the top contributing factor to financial stress for active-duty famil[ies]” and that “higher out-of-pocket housing costs may influence military families’ likelihood to recommend military service.”20 A majority of those who live in civilian housing “continue to pay well over
$200 per month in housing costs out of pocket”21 on top of their BAH. These predatory housing practices are especially detrimental to military families because “unlike civilian peers, military families do not have the opportunity to stabilize their housing costs due to frequent relocation.”22
A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on military housing confirmed the negative impacts of high housing prices on military families, finding that “some service members reported having to take on debt or commute long distances to afford quality housing.”23 GAO determined that existing DoD guidance is “insufficient to address military population effects on local housing market.”24 “GAO’s statistical analyses found that counties with higher military populations were associated with having higher median rents and rent-to-income ratios.”25 Local government officials also acknowledged the largely insufficient housing supply and issues with affordability.26 In its report, GAO recommended that DoD develop a comprehensive list of critical housing areas, regularly update said list, obtain and use feedback on the financial and quality-of- life effects of limited supply or unaffordable housing on service members, develop a plan for DoD to respond to and address those effects, and clearly define the roles and responsibilities of installation commanders and military housing offices in addressing housing needs.27
The Department of Defense has a responsibility to protect military families from predatory private housing companies and ensure that taxpayer dollars meant for military families are not being pocketed by unscrupulous landlords. We seek information that DoD may have on whether algorithms such as those used by RealPage are artificially driving up housing prices for military families, as well as members of the community who do not receive BAH.28 We are also interested in DoD’s broader strategy to ensure landlords are not using RealPage’s services to price gouge military families. Therefore, we ask that you provide answers to the following questions by February 17, 2025.
How effective have DoD’s targeted BAH temporary hikes been at ensuring that military families have access to safe, clean, and affordable housing?
How many reports has DoD received, if any, involving landlords increasing rents in response to BAH increases?
Has DoD conducted any assessments or made any determinations regarding whether landlords in military communities are using RealPage’s YieldStar or AIRM products to price gouge military families?
If so, what have these assessments found?
How many military families rent from landlords who use YieldStar or AIRM products?
Have these products contributed to rent increases for these families?
What information or data has DoD collected to determine the impact of rent-setting algorithms on BAH rates?
What information or notifications has DoD provided to service members or military families in these communities to help prevent them from being gouged by landlords using these algorithms?
If not, why not?
What language, if any, does DoD include in its housing agreements with private companies to ensure programs like RealPage’s YieldStar or AIRM products are not used to influence their rent prices?
Does DoD policy allow private military housing companies to collect data on renters and share it with other landlords, whether through RealPage or through other means?
How does DoD protect military families’ personal information from being disclosed by private housing companies who provide military housing?
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
February 06, 2025
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday joined U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and 15 of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing the No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act, legislation that would reverse the Trump tax law’s breaks for offshoring jobs and profits. The announcement comes as President Trump’s 25 percent tariffs on Canada and Mexico remain under negotiation, while Republicans push to expand those offshoring incentives in their reconciliation bill.
The No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act would level the playing field for American companies by requiring multinational corporations to pay the same tax rate on profits earned abroad as they do in the United States. The Trump tax law created a special tax rate for offshore profits that is half the domestic rate. Since the law’s passage, studies have found that multinationals have increased foreign, rather than domestic investment. Extending the Trump tax law would mean maintaining this half-off rate, which is otherwise scheduled to slightly increase.
If passed, the senators’ legislation would boost U.S. economic competitiveness by encouraging domestic investment, leveling the playing field for domestic companies, and bringing the U.S. into compliance with the global minimum tax agreement. The Joint Committee on Taxation found that large U.S. multinationals paid an average tax rate of just 7.8 percent the year after the Trump law passed, lower than their foreign competitors. They would still pay less than their competitors with a higher rate on foreign profits. Moreover, with over 140 countries moving to implement the global tax agreement, U.S. and foreign multinationals alike will be subject to the new minimum tax whether the U.S. complies or not. Failure to join, however, will mean the revenue fills foreign coffers instead of the U.S. Treasury.
U.S. Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) also cosponsored the legislation.
The No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act would repeal offshoring incentives by:
Equalizing the tax rate on profits earned abroad to the tax rate on profits earned here at home. The bill would end the preferential tax rate for offshore profits by eliminating the deductions for “global intangible low-tax income (GILTI)” and “foreign-derived intangible income” and applying GILTI on a per-country basis.
Repealing the 10 percent tax exemption on profits earned from certain investments made overseas. In addition to the half-off tax rate on profits earned abroad, the Trump tax law exempts from tax a 10 percent return on tangible investments made overseas, like plants and equipment. The legislation would eliminate the zero-tax rate on certain investments made overseas.
Treating “foreign” corporations that are managed and controlled in the U.S. as domestic corporations. Ugland House in the Cayman Islands is the five-story legal home of over 18,000 companies – many of them actually American companies in disguise. The bill would treat corporations worth $50 million or more and managed and controlled within the U.S. as the American entities they in fact are, and subject them to the same tax as other U.S. taxpayers.
Cracking down on inversions by tightening the definition of expatriated entity. This provisionwould discourage corporations from renouncing their U.S. citizenship. It would deem certain mergers between a U.S. company and a smaller foreign firm to be a U.S. taxpayer, no matter where in the world the new company claims to be headquartered. Specifically, the combined company would continue to be treated as a domestic corporation if the historic shareholders of the U.S. company own more than 50 percent of the new entity.
Combating earnings stripping by restricting the deduction for interest expense for multinational enterprises with excess domestic indebtedness. Some multinational groups reduce or eliminate their U.S. tax bills by concentrating their worldwide debt, and the resulting interest deductions, in U.S. subsidiaries. The bill would disallow interest deduction for U.S. subsidiaries of a multinational corporation where a disproportionate share of the worldwide group’s debt is located in the U.S. entity, a tactic commonly known as “earnings stripping.”
Eliminating tax break for foreign oil and gas extraction income. Oil and gas extraction income earned abroad gets an even further break on the already half-off rate other industries pay on offshore profits.
Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
February 06, 2025
WASHINGTON—U.S. SenatorsChris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Richard Blumenthal(D-Conn.), joined 37 of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Right to Contraception Act, legislation that would create a statutory right to obtain and use contraceptives. The bill would also help ensure health care providers have a right to provide contraceptives and share information about this essential care. Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas).
In July 2022, the Right to Contraception Act passed the House with a vote of 220-195. That same month, Republicans blocked an attempt in the U.S. Senate to pass the bill by unanimous consent. They did the same in June 2023. In June 2024, Republicans blocked Senate Democrats’ attempt to pass the bill on the floor.
U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also cosponsored the legislation.
The Right to Contraception Act is endorsed by Power to Decide, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Women’s Law Center, Guttmacher Institute, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America), Population Connection Action Fund, Americans for Contraception, Advocates for Youth, National Partnership for Women & Families, American Public Health Association, American Humanist Association, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health , Center for Biological Diversity, Ibis Reproductive Health, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Upstream USA, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Health Law Program, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Health Access Project, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Upstream USA, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Center for American Progress, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, All* Above All, and Center for Reproductive Rights.
Full text of the legislation is available HERE.
Last year, Murphy released statements after Senate Republicans blocked the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, theRight to Contraception Act and the Right to IVF Act.
In March, Murphy co-sponsored legislation to protect IVF access and other assisted reproductive technology, but passage was blocked by Senate Republicans. That month, Murphy also submitted an amicus brief calling on the Supreme Court to affirm the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) requires hospitals to provide emergency stabilizing care, including abortion care.
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
Washington, D.C.— Today, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to block the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) Criminal Prohibitions Rule. The rule grants Forest Service law enforcement authority to enforce state laws on National Forest lands. Additionally, the rule incorporates state traffic laws into the federal code. It went into effect on December 26, 2024.
“The Forest Service’s so-called criminal prohibition rule usurps local law enforcement and creates jurisdictional ambiguity,” said Senator Lummis. “This is mission creep, not good governance, and I have grave constitutional concerns about this rule. I am proud to join my colleagues in filing this resolution to return power to state and local law enforcement agencies.”
“Congress created the Forest Service to manage production and watersheds — not to enforce state and local laws,” said Rep. Maloy. “The criminal prohibition rule is yet another example of agency overreach as it encroaches on the law enforcement authority of our Sheriffs and creates jurisdictional challenges. It must be stopped.”
The Western States Sheriffs’ Association, representing over 1,200 Sheriffs and 18 states west of the Mississippi, condemned this USFS rule in a letter last December saying it is “wrought with legal and constitutional hurdles.” You can read that letter here.
Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Mitch McConnell
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the confirmation of Russell Vought as Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
“America faces growing budgetary challenges as well as growing foreign threats that undermine our economic prosperity and national security. In its work to preserve America’s economic and geopolitical primacy, the Administration must simultaneously put its fiscal house in order and make the serious investments required to restore peace through strength. Mr. Vought is experienced and demonstrably qualified to lead the Office of Management and Budget, and I look forward to working with him and President Trump to address these looming challenges. Congress has inherent Constitutional authority to appropriate funds and an obligation to provide for the common defense. I hope and expect Mr. Vought will coordinate closely with Congress in this vital work.”
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
WATCH: Senator Reverend Warnock Highlights Trump Administration Nominee’s Threat to Georgian’s Pocketbooks in Hour-Long Floor Speech
Senator Reverend Warnock delivered a nearly hour-long Senate floor speech opposing Russell Vought’s nomination to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
The speech follows the recent federal funding freeze, orchestrated by Vought and the OMB, which has impacted federal funding and programs for everything from seniors to law enforcement to child care to veterans
Senator Reverend Warnock also used the speech to highlight personal stories from Georgians who have been impacted by the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to gut the federal government
Senator Reverend Warnock: “My state has been plagued by chaos, by confusion that has harmed Georgia families and Georgia workers and organizations serving their communities. We are witnessing, right now, a careless and heartless assault on federal investments and a freeze of government funding that has already been appropriated by Congress”
Watch Senator Reverend Warnock’s speech HERE
Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) delivered a nearly hour-long speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate highlighting his opposition to Russell Vought’s nomination to be head of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
“I rise today in strong opposition to the nomination of Russell Vought to be the head of the Office of Management and Budget. His leadership will only continue the disruption that is hurting Georgians in every corner of my state, even as I speak,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
During his floor speech, which was the longest of his tenure in the Senate, Senator Warnock addressed the continued efforts by the Trump Administration to gut the federal government from within. He also addressed the impacts of the Trump Administration’s federal funding freeze which has affected federal programs across Georgia and threatened services that support our veterans, law enforcement, seniors, schools, and our health system. The careless freeze is the brainchild of Russell Vought, the nominee to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
“If you want to get a sense of who President Trump is looking out for, look at who he’s surrounding himself with. On that stage when he was inaugurated, you saw them, some of the richest people in the world. They were the ones who had proximity. Well, proximity matters. You can tell a whole lot about the character of a person’s public service based on the people who can get close to them. The folks who get to speak into their ear. If you want to know who Donald Trump is working for, look at who he’s surrounding himself with. The likes of Elon Musk, the billionaire, the richest man in the world who is now telling the rest of us that we need to tighten our belts. How quaint,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.
“Look, I will work with anyone who is able to have a serious bipartisan conversation about how to best utilize government resources and taxpayer dollars. Working across the aisle to get good things done for Georgia has been a cornerstone of my service in the Senate over the past four years. I’m listed as one of the most bipartisan senators in the Senate. I have worked with Republicans many, many times. But right now, the playbook is obvious. Cut programs that you rely on and give the richest of the rich the money. Robin Hood in reverse. Steal from the poor, give to the rich,” Senator Reverend Warnock added.
Watch Senator Warnock’s full speech HERE.
Below are key excerpts from Senator Warnock’s speech:
“Mr. President,
“I rise today in strong opposition to the nomination of Russell Vought to be the head of the Office of Management and Budget. His leadership will only continue the disruption that is hurting Georgians in every corner of my state, even as I speak.
“Over the past two and a half weeks, my state has been plagued by chaos, by confusion that has harmed Georgia families and Georgia workers and organizations serving their communities. We are witnessing right now a careless and heartless assault on federal investments and a freeze of government funding that has already been appropriated by Congress. To help Georgia seniors, veterans, students, and so many more.”
“I dare say that the people of Georgia who elected me, and the people of Georgia who elected Donald Trump, did not vote for this. But just as we warned, his dangerous plans are playing out in real-time. This is exactly what they said they were going to do. Some didn’t believe them. Even after they attempted to gaslight the American people into thinking otherwise, here we are in no time flat.”
[…]
“This stunt that was pulled a few days ago is a disaster for communities who want well-funded law enforcement, thriving businesses, safe roads and bridges, and as they attack federal workers, attack the government, they’re trying to convince you that the government is some third entity outside of us — some third entity outside of us? No, this is by the people, for the people, of the people.
“This is the highest of our aspirations, what we’re trying to achieve together. As we witness this assault, it is hitting Democrats and Republicans. Blue states and red states. As the people’s voices are being squeezed out of their democracy.
“Just last week, without even being confirmed, Vought orchestrated the effort to freeze federal spending, as if this money is his money rather than our money, the people’s money, throwing programs from infrastructure upgrades, to Medicaid, to free school lunches, to support for homeless veterans into chaos. How dare you take funds that are needed by the veterans of Georgia and all across this state? Those who fight for us should not have to fight with us to get what they deserve.”
[…]
“My constituents were deeply shaken by last week’s federal funding freeze. I received thousands of calls and e-mails from folks afraid of the freeze’s unknown harm to their community. So, let’s peel back the curtain even more on what happened over the last few days. The Trump Administration froze trillions of dollars of government spending to enact massive and disruptive funding cuts. These cuts are being orchestrated in part by Russell Vought and in partnership with the world’s richest man, Elon Musk — Elon Musk, the co-president.
“This unelected, unvetted bureaucrat who by my best guess appears to think that the livelihood of Georgians and Americans is some kind of start-up he can tear apart. So, if you want to get a sense of who President Trump is looking out for, look at who he’s surrounding himself with. On that stage when he was inaugurated, you saw them, some of the richest people in the world. They were the ones who had proximity. Well, proximity matters. You can tell a whole lot about the character of a person’s public service based on the people who can get close to them. The folks who get to speak into their ear.
“If you want to know who Donald Trump is working for, look at who he’s surrounding himself with. The likes of Elon Musk, the billionaire, the richest man in the world who is now telling the rest of us that we need to tighten our belts. How quaint.
“President Trump isn’t serving you, he’s serving them. He’s serving those in our country who are well off and who don’t play by the rules and putting at risk basic programs that help folks send their kids to school, keep food affordable, and lower their energy bills.”
[…]
“So when Elon Musk and his billionaire buddies go looking for spending cuts and they’re focused on cutting government waste, they start by targeting the working class. He said he couldn’t cut taxes for billionaires because they are the job creators. What about the folks who work on the job day to day? What about the folks who clean hospitals? Who mop floors? Who pick up our garbage? Why is it that those at the top deserve so much more than those working at the bottom? Those in the middle? Hardworking Americans who play by the rules?”
[…]
“Look, I will work with anyone who is able to have a serious bipartisan conversation about how to best utilize government resources and taxpayer dollars. Working across the aisle to get good things done for Georgia has been a cornerstone of my service in the Senate over the past four years. I’m listed as one of the most bipartisan senators in the Senate. I have worked with Republicans many, many times. But right now, the playbook is obvious. Cut programs that you rely on and give the richest of the rich the money. Robin Hood in reverse. Steal from the poor, give to the rich.”
[…]
“This is not how the most powerful government in the world ought to serve its people. The reality is, this new level of Washington’s dysfunction has real-world consequences that extend beyond Washington politicians. Georgia’s economy does not stop just because Washington is exercising a kind of chaos.”
“While we’re trying to get our act together up here, guess what? Farmers still need crop insurance, childcare workers in community health centers still need to make payroll, our roads and our bridges, and pipes still need repairs. When federal investments are put in limbo, the stability of our states and local communities are also put in jeopardy. And let me be clear, the trump administration has demonstrated that it will try this again and again and again, and when they do, the business community will suffer and Georgians will be out of their jobs, unless we stand up and say no.
“If this federal funding freeze continues, as Russell Vought hopes, the impact will be felt hardest by those who can least afford it. It’s easy in all the blusters of the beltway who is actually bearing the brunt of Donald Trump’s actions. Delays and freezing are not just inconvenient, they create instability, and they cost the jobs of our friends, our families, and our neighbors.
“So, it’s up to us in this moment to stand up. I am listening to the people who sent me to represent them. I’m thinking about those who do the work every single day. It is our job to respond to the call and the urgency of this moment. History will not treat us kindly if we are silent at a time like this.”
A new case of measles has been reported in Victoria, with the total number of cases linked to travel in Vietnam since December 2024 now standing at eight. Growing outbreaks continue to be reported internationally including in Vietnam and Thailand.
Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can spread from person-to-person and potentially lead to serious health complications.
This most recent case was infectious on VietJet Air flight VJC81/ VJ81 from Ho Chi Minh City to Melbourne, while at Melbourne Airport, and at Sunshine Hospital and The Royal Children’s Hospital.
Anyone who develops symptoms of measles should seek medical care. Wear a mask and call ahead to make sure you can be isolated from others.
People who have attended the listed exposure sites during the specified dates and times should monitor for symptoms of measles and follow the instructions below.
Healthcare professionals should be alert for measles in patients with fever and rash, particularly those who have recently returned from overseas or attended a listed exposure site during the specified period.
Suspected cases should be tested, advised to isolate, and notified to the Department of Health immediately by calling 1300 651 160.
All Victorians are eligible to receive the free measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine if born during or after 1966 and do not have documentation of having received two doses of measles-containing vaccine. Clinicians should vaccinate all individuals who are unsure of their vaccination history, regardless of Medicare status.
There is no need to check measles serology prior to vaccination.
Anyone planning overseas travel should make sure they have received appropriate travel vaccinations, including the MMR vaccine. This is especially important for anyone planning on travelling to South-East Asia, including Vietnam.
What is the issue?
A new case of measles has been identified in Victoria, after travel overseas to South-East Asia where there is an ongoing and large international outbreak. There have now been 17 cases of measles identified in Victoria in the last 12 months.
Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can lead to uncommon but serious complications, such as pneumonia and brain inflammation (encephalitis).
There is currently a large measles outbreak in Vietnam. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health reported over 38,364 suspected measles cases for 2024, including 13 deaths. At the present time, any overseas travel could lead to exposure to measles, with outbreaks also reported in areas outside of Southeast Asia including India, Africa, Europe and the UK, the Middle East, and the USA.
Active public exposures sites in Victoria for recent cases are listed in the table below.
Date
Time
Location
Monitor for onset of symptoms up to
Sunday 26 January 2025
Arrival 12:45am
VietJet Air flight VJC81/ VJ81
Departure: Ho Chi Minh City
Arrival: Melbourne
Thursday 13 February 2025
Sunday 26 January 2025
12:45am to 3:30am
Melbourne Airport, VIC 3005
Thursday 13 February 2025
Tuesday 28 January
08:15am to 10:50pm
Sunshine Hospital Paediatric Emergency Department
176 Furlong Rd, St Albans VIC 3021
Saturday 15 February 2025
Friday 31 January
9:00am to 1:50pm
Sunshine Hospital Paediatric Emergency Department
176 Furlong Rd, St Albans VIC 3021
Tuesday 18 February 2025
Monday 3 February 2025
5:55pm to 11:30pm
The Royal Children’s Hospital Emergency Department
50 Flemington Rd, Parkville VIC 3052
Friday 21 February 2025
Monday 3 February 2025
11:10pm to 00:00am (midnight)
The Royal Children’s Hospital
Sugar Glider Ward
50 Flemington Rd, Parkville VIC 3052
Friday 21 February 2025
Tuesday 4 February
00:01am to 1:30pm
The Royal Children’s Hospital
Sugar Glider Ward
50 Flemington Rd, Parkville VIC 3052
Saturday 22 February 2025
Wednesday 5 February
9:55am to 11:15am
The Royal Children’s Hospital Emergency Department
50 Flemington Rd, Parkville VIC 3052
Sunday 23 February 2025
Anyone who has attended a listed exposure site during the specified times above should monitor for symptoms and seek medical care if symptoms develop for up to 18 days after the exposure. Anyone who presents with signs and symptoms compatible with measles should be tested and notified to the Department of Health immediately. There should be an especially high level of suspicion if they have travelled overseas or visited any the sites listed above and are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated for measles.
Who is at risk?
Anyone born during or since 1966 who does not have documented evidence of having received two doses of a measles-containing vaccine, or does not have documented evidence of immunity, is at risk of measles.
Unvaccinated infants are at particularly high risk of contracting measles.
Young infants, pregnant women and people with a weakened immune system are at increased risk of serious complications from measles.
Symptoms and transmission
Symptoms of measles include fever, cough, sore or red eyes (conjunctivitis), runny nose, and feeling generally unwell, followed by a red maculopapular rash. The rash usually starts on the face before spreading down the body. Symptoms can develop between 7 to 18 days after exposure.
Initial symptoms of measles may be similar to those of COVID-19 and influenza. If a symptomatic person tests negative for COVID-19 and/or influenza but develops a rash, they should be advised to continue isolating and be tested for measles.
People with measles are potentially infectious from 24 hours prior to the onset of initial symptoms until 4 days after the rash appears. Measles is highly infectious and can spread through airborne droplets or contact with nose or throat secretions, as well as contaminated surfaces and objects. The measles virus can stay in the environment for up to 2 hours.
Figures: Examples of a typical measles rash.
Recommendations
For the general public
Anyone who has attended a listed exposure site during the specified date and time should monitor for symptoms and seek medical care if symptoms develop for up to 18 days after the exposure.
Symptoms of measles can initially resemble a cold or flu and include fever, cough, sore or red eyes (conjunctivitis), runny nose, and feeling generally unwell, followed by a red rash. The rash usually starts on the face before spreading down the body.
Anyone who develops symptoms of measles should seek medical care. Call the health service beforehand to advise that you may have been exposed to measles and wear a mask.
The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine provides safe and effective protection against measles. The MMR vaccine is available for free:
on the National Immunisation Program, routinely given at 12 months and 18 months of age.
for anyone born during or after 1966 who have not already received two doses of measles-containing vaccine, are unsure of their vaccination status, or do not have evidence of immunity to measles.
for young infants aged 6 to 12 months prior to overseas travel to countries where measles is endemic or where outbreaks of measles are occurring. If an infant receives an early dose of MMR vaccine prior to travel, they should still receive routine doses at 12 months and 18 months of age as per the National Immunisation Program schedule.
For further information, speak to your immunisation provider.
Anyone planning overseas travel should make sure they have received appropriate travel vaccinations.
For health professionals
Anyone who is not fully vaccinated for measles may be eligible to receive the MMR vaccine if they present within 72 hours (3 days) of exposure. Anyone who is immunocompromised or pregnant and not fully vaccinated for measles may be eligible to receive normal human immunoglobulin (NHIG) if they present up to 144 hours (6 days) after close exposure to a measles case.
Clinicians are advised to be alert for measles in patients presenting with compatible illness, particularly those with overseas travel or who attended a listed exposure site during the specified dates and times or who are not fully vaccinated against measles.
Anyone who presents with signs and symptoms compatible with measles should be tested and notified to the Department of Health immediately. There should be an especially high level of suspicion if they have travelled overseas or visited any sites listed above and are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated for measles.
Suspected cases should be tested, isolated, and notified to the Department of Health immediately by calling 1300 651 160 and connecting to the relevant Local Public Health Unit.
Discuss the need for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing using nose and throat swabs with the Local Public Health Unit (PCR testing for measles does not attract a Medicare rebate).
Take blood samples for measles serology in all suspected cases.
Minimise the risk of measles transmission within your practice/department:
avoid keeping patients with fever and rash in shared waiting areas (send to a separate room).
if measles is suspected, give the patient a single use, fitted mask and isolate under airborne precautions until a measles diagnosis can be excluded.
leave all rooms that were used to assess the suspected case vacant for at least 30 minutes after the consultation.
Offer MMR vaccine to people born during or after 1966 who do not have documented evidence of receiving two doses of a measles-containing vaccine or documented evidence of immunity. Serology is not required before vaccinating. People who are not Medicare eligible can also receive the free MMR vaccine. Refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook –Measles for further guidance on immunisation.
Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, today made this statement after voting to confirm Russ Vought as the next Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Vought was confirmed by a vote of 53-47.
“I look forward to working with OMB Director Russ Vought and congratulate him on being confirmed by the Senate.
“Russ is highly qualified, and served in the same capacity in the first Trump Administration. I believe he is the right man at the right time to get our fiscal house in order.”
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – This week, after President Trump called for the U.S. to “take over” and “own” Gaza, forcibly resettling its population in the process, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, rejected the proposal, stating:
“I am appalled by President Trump’s declaration that the United States should occupy and rebuild Gaza, potentially with American military forces. His callous proposal is outrageous and contrary to the long-term interests of the U.S., Gaza, Israel, and our partners in the region. Trump’s bluster undermines decades of bipartisan support for a two-state solution, gives ammunition to our adversaries, and sows distrust among our allies.
“Involving the U.S. in the forced resettlement of Palestinians would be immoral and illegal. Further, if he were to put U.S. troops on the ground in Gaza it would be a disastrous national security mistake.
“I urge Israeli and Palestinian leaders to move beyond the current ceasefire toward a long-term plan for governance and a framework for a two-state solution. President Trump should control his impulse to inject chaos into this delicate situation.”
Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
WASHINGTON, DC – New evidence indicates Elon Musk’s lieutenants from the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (“DOGE”) were in fact more involved with attempting to access and suspend payments through the U.S. Treasury Department’s highly sensitive payment processing system.
The New York Times reported on recently uncovered e mails from senior Treasury officials, noting: “emails reviewed by The New York Times show that the Treasury’s chief of staff originally pushed for Tom Krause, a software executive affiliated with Mr. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, to receive access to the closely held payment system so that the Treasury could freeze U.S. Agency for International Development payments.
“In a Jan. 24 email to a small group of Treasury officials, the chief of staff, Dan Katz, wrote that Mr. Krause and his team needed access to the system so they could pause U.S.A.I.D. payments and comply with Mr. Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order to halt foreign aid.”
Senator Reed and other lawmakers have been seeking answers about how, why, and whether Mr. Musk’s DOGE operatives gained access to highly sensitive personal data and payment information for millions of Americans and businesses.
After sending a letter to new Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on February 3 and receiving evasive answers and suspect assurances from Treasury on February 4, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcommittee, which oversees funding for Treasury, fired off a follow up letter seeking more specific answers to determine exactly who from DOGE has been given access to what Treasury payment and information technology (IT) and what kind of vetting process those people have undergone.
Reed is particularly alarmed that Treasury officials equivocated in their response that members of DOGE “currently . . . will have read-only access to the coded data” of Treasury’s payment systems. Reed wants to know if anyone from DOGE previously had more access.
Senator Reed is also seeking to determine what level of access has been granted to Tom Krause, who is currently a big tech CEO and now serves as Elon Musk’s DOGE commander inside the Treasury Department. Does he have access beyond read-only? While Mr. Krause was apparently granted some type of security clearance, Reed wants to know whether he received any actual vetting and whether other members of DOGE have a similar clearance?
Senator Reed is also seeking to determine exactly what permissions DOGE employees have to review Americans’ most sensitive data, such as tax information. While DOGE employees have access that is “similar” to the permissions provided to others with a need to review this data, such as auditors, that necessarily means that there are “differences,” too, which could have grave consequences for the privacy of all Americans.
Finally, Senator Reed is seeking information about DOGE attempts to block authorized spending to institutions that are politically disfavored by Trump and Elon Musk. While Treasury asserts that no payments were “delayed or re-routed,” new reporting indicates that Treasury did, in fact, attempt to block payments.
Full text of the letter follows:
February 5, 2025
The Honorable Scott Bessent, Secretary
U.S. Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20220
Dear Secretary Bessent:
Thank you for the prompt response from your staff to my letter, dated February 3, 2025, regarding access to U.S. Treasury Department payment systems by surrogates of Elon Musk. Regrettably, the letter did not address many of the specific questions I asked, and in fact, it raised additional issues that the Department should address.
Therefore, I respectfully request answers to several follow-up questions by February 10, 2025:
1. The response letter states that “currently, Treasury staff members working with Tom Krause, a Treasury employee, will have read-only access to the coded data of the Fiscal Service’s payment systems.”
a. What access does Mr. Krause himself have to these systems?
b. Did the access that you initially granted to Mr. Krause or these staff members include permissions beyond “read-only” or access to data with identifiable fields?
c. Are you evaluating whether to provide Mr. Krause and these staff members with additional permissions beyond “read-only” and access to coded data?
d. How many Treasury staff members are working with Mr. Krause on this matter?
2. The response letter states that “the review at the Fiscal Service has not caused payments for obligations such as Social Security and Medicare to be delayed or re-routed.”
a. Did Tom Krause, or any Treasury staff members working with him, ever attempt to delay or re-route any payments or inquire with career Treasury staff about how to do so?
b. Can you commit that Treasury will not delay or re-route any statutorily directed payments?
3. The response letter states that “Mr. Krause is subject to the same security obligations and ethical requirements [as other government employees], including a Top Secret security clearance.”
a. Was his clearance granted through the customary practices used for veteran, career Treasury staff members?
b. Is his clearance at the level that is customary for the Fiscal Assistant Secretary, which I understand to be TS/SCI with a counterintelligence-scope polygraph?
4. For the Treasury staff members working with Mr. Krause who currently have “read-only” access:
a. Do they all have security clearances and if so, were these clearances granted through the customary practices used for veteran, career Treasury staff members?
b. Are any of them foreign nationals?
c. Are any of them designed as a “special government employee” and if so, how many have this designation?
5. Have Mr. Krause and the Treasury staff members working with him submitted financial disclosure forms to the Office of Government Ethics?
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your prompt reply.
Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
Heinrich uplifts New Mexicans’ concerns, sheds light on local impact of Vought’s dangerous plans
VIDEO
WASHINGTON – This evening, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivered remarks on the Senate floor amplifying the voices of New Mexicans opposing the nomination of Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Mr. Vought is the lead architect of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, the policy blueprint for Donald Trump’s harmful agenda to throw the government into chaos and harm working families.
“Today, I say to the thousands of New Mexicans who have asked me to oppose Mr. Vought’s nomination: I agree with you,” said Heinrich. “Mr. Vought is not fit to lead the OMB. We should reject this dangerously unfit nominee before he dismantles the services New Mexicans rely on. We should reject him before he unilaterally overrides the laws that Americans’ elected representatives have passed. We cannot standby and allow Mr. Vought, Elon Musk, or this President to disregard the safety and security of the American people. The law is on our side.”
VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) delivers remarks on the Senator floor opposing the nomination of Project 2025 architect Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), February 6, 2025.
During his speech, Heinrich amplified the concerns of New Mexicans who have written or called into his office expressing concern over Trump’s harmful actions. Heinrich additionally recited alarming statements recently made by Vought that emphasize his dangerous plans, “In a private speech last year at his far-right Center for Renewing America think tank, Mr. Vought stated that he would like to put career civil servants ‘in trauma.’ Mr. Vought said, ‘We want the bureaucrats to be traumatically affected. When they wake up in the morning, we want them to not want to go to work because they are increasingly viewed as the villains.”’
Heinrich also emphasized the unlawfulness of Vought’s intentions and the Trump administration’s actions by citing rulings handed down from two federal courts that issued temporary restraining orders on Trump’s directives.
Heinrich concluded by encouraging New Mexicans—and all Americans—to use their voices to call on Republicans in charge of the Senate, House, and White House to put an end to this chaos, “To all Americans wondering what can be done right now: keep using your voices. Call your Members of Congress. Call your Senators. Call the White House. Call the Treasury Department. Comment on your Republican Representatives’ social media channels. Write op-eds in your local newspaper. Make sure Republicans know that ‘We the People’ are paying attention. That we will hold them accountable for following the law and upholding our Constitution. And make sure to let your lawmakers know when you support the work they’re doing, so that they continue to do it. And let federal civil servants know that you support them, and that you want them to keep doing their jobs and doing them well.”
Heinrich is leading Senate Democrats in sounding the alarm on Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s destructive actions that are wreaking havoc on Americans, weakening our economy, and threatening the livelihoods of New Mexicans.
Last week on the Senate floor, Heinrich delivered the longest speech of his career, where he slammed President Trump’s unlawful unilateral blockade of all federal grant funding. In his remarks, Heinrich uplifted stories from New Mexicans on how Trump’s federal funding freeze endangered New Mexicans and threatened communities across the state. Find the video of Heinrich sharing letters from New Mexicans on the Senate floor here.
Since Trump took office in 2025, Heinrich has:
Introduced a resolution condemning Trump’s pardons of people found guilty of assaulting police officers on January 6.
Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations Chairman Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) today encouraged President Trump to stand up for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblowers who exposed the Biden IRS and Justice Department’s efforts to obstruct the federal criminal investigation into Hunter Biden’s tax offenses. The Office of Special Counsel recently confirmed IRS Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Special Agent Joseph Ziegler were illegally issued a gag order and retaliated against as a result of their efforts to sound the alarm on those responsible for slow-walking the Hunter Biden investigation.
“We’ve been informed that the senior IRS management who refused to do their job, rolled over for political corruption at DOJ, and targeted the whistleblowers are still in charge,” the senators wrote. “We’ve been informed that these officials have not stopped the retaliation against Shapley and Ziegler, and the bureaucratic processes that are supposed to protect them are too slow and ineffective.”
“You must hold IRS leadership and the retaliators’ feet to the fire,” the senators continued. “You must ensure that these brave whistleblowers no longer face retaliation, which would serve as a great step in restoring the public’s trust in the fair and equal treatment of taxpayers that was so damaged by the blatant corruption and special treatment that provided protection and benefits to the Biden family.”
“These brave public servants are ready to help reform and modernize the IRS. Your actions to protect them, to support them, and to hold the retaliators accountable will send a message to the entrenched bureaucratic interests that bravery, courage, expertise and integrity will be rewarded and bad conduct will be punished,” the senators concluded.
February 06, 2025
VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President:
We’ve recently learned that the Office of Special Counsel has confirmed that IRS Supervisory Special Agent (“SSA”) Gary Shapley and IRS Special Agent (“SA”) Joseph Ziegler were illegally issued gag orders and retaliated against by the IRS under the Biden administration.
These IRS whistleblowers made lawful protected disclosures about the IRS and the Justice Department playing politics by improperly pulling punches in the Hunter Biden tax case. Their whistleblowing exposed to the public that Attorney General Merrick Garland and his Justice Department misled Congress and the public about the role that Biden administration attorneys played in blocking charges against President Biden’s son.
After blowing the whistle, and at the Justice Department’s direction, the IRS removed the whistleblowers and their entire team from the Biden investigation they had worked diligently for years. It’s been 20 months since the whistleblowers sought relief through the normal administrative and legal processes. While there is now an official finding that the IRS could not support its removal of the whistleblowers, the whistleblowers still face other types of ongoing retaliation every day.
This is unacceptable, and you have the power to put a stop to it today.
We’ve been informed that the senior IRS management who refused to do their job, rolled over for political corruption at DOJ, and targeted the whistleblowers are still in charge. We’ve been informed that these officials have not stopped the retaliation against Shapley and Ziegler and the bureaucratic processes that are supposed to protect them are too slow and ineffective.
You must hold IRS leadership and the retaliators’ feet to the fire. You must ensure that these brave whistleblowers no longer face retaliation which would serve as a great step in restoring the public’s trust in the fair and equal treatment of taxpayers that was so damaged by the blatant corruption and special treatment that provided protection and benefits to the Biden family.
These brave public servants are ready to help reform and modernize the IRS. Your actions to protect them, to support them, and to hold the retaliators accountable will send a message to the entrenched bureaucratic interests that bravery, courage, expertise and integrity will be rewarded and bad conduct will be punished.
Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
This Morning The Medicaid Portal And All U.S. Department Of Health & Human Services Websites Were Inoperable, Affecting Payments For Approximately 7 Million New Yorkers & Blocking New Yorkers From Receiving Reimbursements For Health Care Expenses
Today’s Shutdown Marks Second Time In Two Weeks NY Has Been Locked Out Of Payments With No Explanation; Following Trump’s Illegal Federal Funding Freeze, Schumer Says Enough Is Enough And NY-ers Deserve Answers On What Is Happening With Their Healthcare Coverage
Schumer: Continued Medicaid Portal Shutdowns – And Fed Funding Freeze – Create Panic, Confusion & Unnecessary Frustration
After access to NY’s Medicaid portal was rendered inoperable once again this morning for the second time following Trump’s funding freeze fiasco, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today demanded answers from the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to explain why the federal platform responsible for disbursing Medicaid funds for NY and other state’s was shutdown. Despite OMB saying Medicaid would not be impacted by the freeze, every state across the country reported the payment system shutting down, temporarily jeopardizing payments needed for our doctors, rural clinics, community health centers, and hospitals and creating major concerns for the millions of New Yorkers who rely on this system.
Schumer said the unexplained shutdowns of the Medicaid portal demands a full investigation and immediate answers to ensure health care services can have the confidence they need to continue vital healthcare services.
“Following Trump’s funding freeze chaos, out of the blue and seemingly due to callousness and incompetence, the Medicaid Portal was inexplicably offline yet again today for the second time. Nearly 7 million New Yorkers were once again potentially left high and dry on healthcare. The repeated nationwide shutdown of the Medicaid payment system caused panic, confusion, and unnecessary frustration, especially following last week’s unexplained shutdown,” said Senator Schumer. “The federal government legally owes federal funding for New York State’s Medicaid program to provide reimbursement for health care costs for millions of fellow New Yorkers. Without it doctors and hospitals in New York can’t provide the care they need. The White House refused to clarify how their illegal federal funding freeze would impact Medicaid recipients and the shutdown of the portal both last week and today only intensifies people’s deep worry. I’m demanding HHS work with Congress to swiftly and transparently determine what caused the portal shutdown and how the administration can ensure a disruption like this doesn’t happen again. New Yorkers deserve nothing less.”
Schumer said the Medicaid portal shutdown is part of larger confusion surrounding President Trump’s executive order freezing all federal funding. Though the White House said the Medicaid program would “continue without pause,” Medicaid portals across the country temporarily stopped working. Though the portal was later restored, it again became inoperable for a few hours this morning. Schumer explained that continued shutdowns put reimbursement payments for millions of New Yorkers at risk and demanded answers to ensure a shutdown will not happen again.
Medicaid enrollment by region can be found below:
Region
Medicaid Enrollment
NYC
4,036,284
Long Island
679,724
Capital Region
214,632
Western New York
371,481
Rochester-Finger Lakes
304,234
Central New York
201,047
Southern Tier
181,450
Hudson Valley
678,375
North Country
106,160
Mohawk Valley
178,001
Schumer and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Wyden letter to Acting Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Dorothy Fink sent prior to this morning’s shutdown can be found below:
Dear Acting Secretary Dorothy Fink:
We are writing to gain insight into the unlawful shutdown of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Payment Management Services (PMS) portal. As you know, the PMS portal, in addition to being the platform for hundreds of other transactions between states and HHS, serves as an interface between state Medicaid agencies and the federal government for drawing down federal funds to cover care provided to Medicaid beneficiaries in each state. As the health insurance program serving 80 million Americans, Medicaid is a key lifeline for communities across this country. The unexplained shutdown of the Medicaid portal raised questions about the continuity of care for beneficiaries and the financial stability of the providers and health centers that provide essential health care services.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo (M-25-13) released on January 27 instructed federal agencies to temporarily pause grant, loan, and other financial assistance programs in response to President Trump’s Executive Orders directed at freezing federal funding. Alongside the memo, OMB circulated a spreadsheet of around 2,600 federal programs, including the “Medical Assistance Program” (i.e., Medicaid), and requested federal agencies submit information on whether they complied with the executive orders. During a White House briefing on the OMB memo, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, refused to clarify whether Medicaid was specifically implicated by the funding freeze, instead stating that she will “check back on that.” Following confusion and uncertainty about which programs were affected by the freeze, OMB released clarifications to the initial memo on January 28, stating “mandatory programs like Medicaid and SNAP will continue without pause.”
Despite this, all 56 state and territorial Medicaid programs were locked out of the PMS portal for hours, unable to access funding. Shortly after the OMB memo was circulated, the PMS portal had a red banner warning of “PAYMENT DELAYS.” It stated that “due to the Executive Orders regarding potentially unallowable grant payments,” PMS was taking additional steps to process payments that “will result in delays and/or rejections of payment.” Upon restoration of the PMS portal, some states are reporting slow and inefficient portal service, creating difficulties for providers across the country. Additionally, a red banner remains on the PMS portal, warning of truncated hours of operation – 5:00am – 4:00pm ET – “until a further notice.”
The lack of clarity on the cause of the portal shutdown creates concern that state partners cannot rely on the PMS portal. We request that HHS work to determine and disclose the cause of the portal shutdown and make necessary improvements to prevent future disruptions in the distribution of Medicaid funding.
Specifically, we request that you please provide answers to the following questions:
Since Medicaid is exempt from the Executive Order on freezing federal funding according to a clarifying OMB memo, why were state Medicaid offices locked out of the HHS PMS portal for hours after posting of the initial OMB memo on the funding freeze?
Since Medicaid is exempt from the funding freeze, what is the reason for the PMS portal’s truncated hours of operation? When will the PMS portal return to normal operating hours to ensure continuity of care for Medicaid beneficiaries?
What is HHS doing to restore normal operating speed and functioning to the PMS portal to support the reimbursement process?
The unexplained freeze to the PMS portal has worried state Medicaid programs that there will be delays and rejections in reimbursement claims. What is HHS doing to assure state Medicaid programs that, due to Medicaid’s exemption from the funding freeze, there will not be increases in delays or rejections of claims?
How is HHS working to analyze the amount of time that each state Medicaid program was locked out of the PMS portal?
How is HHS working to quickly process reimbursement claims that required prioritization during the period that state Medicaid programs were locked out of the PMS portal?
How will HHS better interpret and coordinate implementation of Executive Orders to prevent another unnecessary freeze to the PMS portal?
The White House has responded that the portal shutdown was due to an “outage.” If this is the case, what is HHS doing to support technical operations to prevent future shutdowns and slowdowns of the portal? What was the cause of the technical outage?
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We request a response in 30 days, by March 3, 2025.
OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general in releasing the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of the Treasury granting Elon Musk and his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) staffers access to sensitive payment systems containing Americans’ personally identifiable information:
“In the past week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has given Elon Musk access to Americans’ personal private information, state bank account data, and other information that is some of our country’s most sensitive data.
“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. The President does not have the power to give away our private information to anyone he chooses, and he cannot cut federal payments approved by Congress.
“This level of access for unauthorized individuals is unlawful, unprecedented, and unacceptable. DOGE has no authority to access this information, which they explicitly sought in order to block critical payments that millions of Americans rely on – payments that support health care, childcare, and other essential programs.
“In defense of our Constitution, our right to privacy, and the essential funding that individuals and communities nationwide are counting on, we will be filing a lawsuit to stop this injustice.”
Joining Attorney General Bonta in releasing this statement are the attorneys general of New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
02.06.25
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed Russell Vought to serve as the director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
“Russ Vought previously served as director of OMB during President Trump’s first term and we congratulate him on his confirmation to once again lead OMB,” said Hoeven. “We look forward to working with Director Vought and President Trump to cut red tape and rollback unnecessary government regulations. As the head of OMB, he will be an important partner as we work to rein in government spending and ensure we are using taxpayer dollars wisely. ”
Senator says Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act “will send a strong message to corporations that they won’t get away with coordinating to ratchet up prices on consumers.”
Washington D.C.—U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today joined Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that would prevent companies from using algorithms to collude to set higher prices. This legislation builds off legislation Wyden introduced last year to crack down on companies that help landlords increase rents in already high-priced markets.
“Collusion is collusion, whether you do it over the phone or using an algorithm. This legislation, along with my End Rent Fixing Act, will send a strong message to corporations that they won’t get away with coordinating to ratchet up prices on consumers,” said Wyden.
As recent reporting, a Justice Department lawsuit, and multiple private lawsuits have shown, big corporations are using algorithms to raise prices and limit competition. This includes companies like RealPage that have facilitated collusion to increase rents by more than $3 billion in 2023 alone. This legislation would make such collusion illegal to lower costs for families and support small businesses.
Price fixing and other forms of collusion are illegal under current antitrust laws. However, current antitrust laws may be insufficient when competing companies delegate their pricing decisions to an algorithm without agreeing to fix prices. Current law requires proof of an agreement to fix prices before condemning the conduct. When pricing decisions of multiple competitors are delegated to a single algorithm, that agreement may not exist even though the use of the algorithm may have the same effect as a traditional agreement to fix prices. This type of conduct has already occurred in rental housing.
To strengthen current price fixing law, this Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act would do the following:
Close a loophole in current law by presuming a price-fixing “agreement,” when direct competitors share non-public information through a pricing algorithm to raise prices;
Increase transparency by requiring companies that use algorithms to set prices to disclose that fact and give antitrust enforcers the ability to audit the pricing algorithm when there are concerns it may be harming consumers;
Ban companies from using non-public, competitively sensitive information from their direct competitors to inform or train a pricing algorithm;
Direct the Federal Trade Commission to study pricing algorithms’ impact on competition.
The legislation was led by U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Along with Wyden, the bill was co-sponsored by Senators Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Peter Welch, D-Vt. The Preventing Algorithmic Collusion Act is endorsed by Consumer Reports, the Open Markets Institute, and Accountable.US.
Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
New bipartisan legislation led by Murray would provide overdue recognition and assistance to families of servicemembers lost in non-combat military plane crashes, including those who perished in tragic 1963 Flight 293 from McChord Air Force Base to Elmendorf Air Force Base
ICYMI from KIRO 7: 61 years after Flight 293 disappeared, podcast raises new questions and interest
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Dan Sullivan (R-AK), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced the Flight 293 Remembrance Act—new legislation that would provide overdue recognition and support to families of the hundreds of servicemembers whose lives have been tragically lost in non-combat military plane crashes. Companion legislation in the House has been introduced by U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
The legislation was inspired by the infamous Flight 293, which left McChord Air Force Base in Washington state on June 3rd, 1963, en route to Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska with 101 people on board—58 members of the military, 22 family members and a Seattle-based flight crew of six—and disappeared two and a half hours after leaving the tarmac. As pointed out for many years by Tonja Anderson-Dell of the group Honored Bound, whose grandfather disappeared in a military crash in Alaska in 1952, the Flight 293 families—like her own family and so many others—have felt left behind and excluded.
Since World War II, hundreds of military personnel have been classified as “Missing Not In Action” (M-NIA) following non-combat plane crashes—and unlike the families of those classified as “Missing in Action” (MIA), who receive regular updates from the Department of Defense (DoD) and invitations to remembrance events, M-NIA families have long been left unsupported and excluded from these resources. The lack of a formal recognition system for M-NIA servicemembers has resulted in these families being denied the public acknowledgment, memorials, and support services they deserve. The bipartisan Flight 293 Remembrance Act seeks to correct these disparities by ensuring that the sacrifices of M-NIA servicemembers are properly recognized, their families receive essential support, and they are included in remembrance efforts.
“For far too long, the U.S. government has treated the families of servicemembers who went missing in non-combat plane crashes differently—denying them the communication, acknowledgement, and public support that other families of missing servicemembers receive,” said Senator Murray. “It’s long past time to fix this and at least provide federal recognition for families who lost loved ones in tragic accidents like Flight 293. Our legislation would ensure that the service of our fallen heroes is commemorated and that their families receive the recognition and assistance they deserve—I’ll be working hard to get this commonsense bipartisan solution across the finish line.”
“Our brave men and women in uniform encounter risks to their lives when carrying out their day-to-day duties for our country, even when not in combat or in a warzone,” said Senator Sullivan. “American service members killed in these kinds of non-combat circumstances, like the tragic crash of Flight 293 in 1963, deserve to have their service and sacrifice recognized and honored by a grateful nation. I’m glad to join Senator Murray in introducing legislation to ensure all service members who’ve laid down their lives for our country are properly remembered and included in memorial activities, and to provide solace and support for the families and loved ones they left behind.”
“This bill will help families get the recognition and assistance they need when their loved one is lost in a tragic, non-combat plane crash,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10).
“The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is honored to support the Flight 293 Remembrance Act and thanks Senators Murray and Sullivan for introducing this significant legislation, which seeks to recognize families of service members lost or missing from non-combat military plane crashes,” said Bonnie Carroll, TAPS President and Founder. “Ensuring these families the same level of commemoration and support as the families of those Missing in Action will help provide much needed resources and closure for these surviving families, while honoring the service and sacrifice of their loved ones.”
Specifically, the Flight 293 Remembrance Act would mandate that the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) create a publicly accessible database documenting all non-combat military plane crashes, ensuring the preservation of the names, ranks, and service details of those who perished in these incidents. It also directs the DoD to enhance resources for families of military personnel who have been classified as “Missing Not in Action,” ensuring they are informed of available support services and connected to peer support networks. Furthermore, the bill requires the DoD to submit regular reports to Congress, evaluating the effectiveness of these efforts, gathering family feedback, and making recommendations for improving support. A one-pager with additional details on the legislation can be found HERE.
The legislation is endorsed by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), National Military Family Association (NMFA), and Tragedy Assistance Program For Survivors (TAPS).
The full text of the legislation can be found HERE.