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Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Joins Bicameral Letter to Defense Secretary Hegseth to Rein In Dangerous, Wasteful “Golden Dome” Missile Plan

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    July 09, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, joined colleagues in a bicameral letter urging U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to refrain from mindlessly pouring resources into the Trump administration’s unproven and ill-defined “Golden Dome” comprehensive missile defense shield. The letter emphasized how Trump’s proposed Golden Dome program would be technically unfeasible, strategically unwise, and overwhelmingly expensive. Instead of making the U.S. homeland safer from missile threats, this program sets the stage for the Trump administration to waste hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars, open the door to enormous corruption, and set off a destabilizing nuclear arms race that would make Americans less safe.

    In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “The Trump administration’s plans for Golden Dome could make it prohibitively expensive, operationally ineffective, massively corrupt, and detrimental to U.S. and global security by igniting a nuclear arms race with Russia and China. We are concerned that Golden Dome will be much more effective at wasting taxpayer dollars than countering missile attacks.”

    The lawmakers continued, “Countering a possible Russian or Chinese attack involving hundreds of warheads would require a much larger, more technologically advanced, and more costly system. That is why Congress, since 1999 on a bipartisan basis, has specifically said that U.S. national missile defenses should aim to counter only ‘limited’ threats, not Russian and Chinese arsenals. Golden Dome would overturn that long-standing consensus with the stroke of a pen.”

    The lawmakers requested responses to the following questions by July 21, 2025:

    1. What is the intended purpose of Golden Dome? How many missiles (and of what types) is it being designed to intercept? What system architecture will be used? Has the threat been validated as a requirement by the Joint Chiefs of Staff?
    2. How does the Administration plan to spend the proposed $175 billion on Golden Dome?
    3. What is the 20-year estimated cost of Golden Dome?
    4. How does the Administration plan to deal with known and anticipated countermeasures to space- and ground-based missile defense, including nuclear detonations in space?
    5. What aspects of the system would be based in space?
    6. Will the Administration propose a third missile defense interceptor site on the East Coast?
    7. How does the Pentagon plan to meet requirements for developmental and operational testing of the elements of the proposed system, given the very short timeline for deployment?
    8. How will the Administration award contracts under Golden Dome? Will SpaceX get preferential treatment?
    9. How does the Administration expect China and Russia to react to Golden Dome? How does the administration plan to reconcile its arms control goals with these reactions?

    The letter was co-signed in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Senators Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); and in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Representatives Don Beyer (D-Va.-8), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-8) Bill Foster (D-Ill.-11), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), Greg Casar (D-Texas-35), and Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas-37).

    The full text of the letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Challenges Unconstitutional California Laws Driving Up National Egg Prices

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of California, Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and other state officials over California laws that impose burdensome red tape on the production of eggs and poultry products nationally in violation of the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

    The laws and regulations challenged by the complaint impose costly requirements on farmers that have the effect of raising egg prices for American consumers by prohibiting farmers across the country from using commonly accepted agricultural methods that helped keep eggs affordable. These laws stand opposed to the Egg Products inspection Act, which sets standards to ensure eggs and egg products are properly labeled and packaged and preempts state laws that impose additional regulatory hurdles.

    “Americans across the country have suffered the consequences of liberal policies causing massive inflation for everyday items like eggs,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we will use the full extent of federal law to ensure that American families are free from oppressive regulatory burdens and restore American prosperity.”  

    “Bureaucratic red tape and unnecessary regulations implemented by the State of California have made the cost of everyday goods, like eggs, less affordable for Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate. “This Department of Justice will work to free consumers from this regulatory burden and bring economic prosperity to families.”

    On his first day in office, President Trump directed federal agencies to work to end the “crushing regulatory burden” Americans were experience with the riding costs of every day items. This lawsuit is the latest of Department of Justice actions seeking to protect American consumers from predatory commercial practices and regulatory burdens.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Representatives Laurel Lee and Gus Bilirakis Respond to the Eighth Circuit Court’s Decision

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)

    Tampa, FL – Yesterday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the FTC’s final Negative Option Rule put in place by Lina Khan, October 2024. The rule was set to be implemented in 2025.  

    In June, Congresswoman Laurel Lee introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to rescind the Biden-Harris Administration rule. Congresswoman Lee and her colleague, Congressman Gus Bilirakis, CMT Subcommittee Chairman of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce, were pleased by the Eighth Circuit Court’s ruling to dismiss the unlawful rule. Their reactions below:  

    “The Federal Trade Commission’s Negative Option Rule far exceeded the agency’s consumer protection mandate. By imposing sweeping and costly new requirements—estimated to exceed $100 million annually—the rule would have driven up costs for consumers rather than protecting them.

    As the Eighth Circuit rightly noted, the FTC rushed this partisan rule through just before the 2024 election, bypassing key steps in the rulemaking process and ignoring legitimate concerns raised by stakeholders. That is why I introduced a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution months ago to overturn the rule, and called on the FTC to delay implementation until the courts could review its legality.

    I’m grateful the Eighth Circuit recognized the serious economic harm this rule would have caused and acted to vacate it. Moving forward, I remain committed to reining in executive overreach and collaborating with my colleagues on thoughtful reforms to ensure subscription practices are fair, transparent, and protect both consumers and businesses,” said Congresswoman Lee. 

    “The Eighth Circuit’s decision to vacate the FTC’s ‘negative option’ rule is a necessary check on regulatory overreach. In her rush to regulate, Lina Khan failed to follow appropriate procedures – undermining transparency and due process for stakeholders and consumers alike. This ruling reinforces the importance of accountability and adherence to the rule of law in regulatory actions. It’s now time to restore trust in the Federal Trade Commission and protect American consumers without unduly burdening legitimate business activity” said Congressman Bilirakis, Chairman of the House Commerce, Manufacturing, & Trade Subcommittee.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Introduce Bill to Support Veterans Exposed to Radiation and Toxins While Serving in Nevada

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), introduced legislation to ensure service members and veterans who served at classified locations within the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) since 1951 are able to prove that they served there, and can finally get the PACT Act benefits they deserve following exposure to radiation and toxins. 
    From the 1950s through the 1990s, the NTTR – and the Nevada Test Site contained within it – conducted over 900 explosive nuclear weapons tests and other dangerous, toxic activities. Currently, due to issues with the classified nature of their location while serving, veterans who served at the NTTR are unable to prove their service there to the VA and, therefore, are unable to receive care and benefits connected with exposure to radiation and toxins from burn pits. The Fighting for the Overlooked Recognition of Groups Operating in Toxic Test Environments in Nevada (FORGOTTEN) Veterans Act would help to correct a historic wrong and inequity by officially recognizing the risk that veterans assumed during their service at the NTTR, and other Department of Energy (DOE) Covered Facilities, where DOE employees are already automatically presumed to have been exposed, while the service members who served alongside them are not. Senator Rosen also worked to secure commitments from multiple high-ranking military officials to address this care gap.
    “As a nation, it is our obligation to take care of all veterans once their service has ended,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This is especially true for veterans of the Nevada Test and Training Range, who faced toxic exposure daily as part of their duties and should have parity with their civilian counterparts. I will continue to push for these brave men and women to receive the care and benefits they’re due.”
    “Veterans have been exposed to radiation and toxic chemicals as a result of their selfless service to our nation, and the least we can do is ensure they get the treatment they need,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m introducing this bill to recognize the radiation and toxic exposure experienced at the Nevada Test and Training Range so our veterans can access the care and benefits they deserve. It is unconscionable that one U.S. government agency deems portions of the range as contaminated and their personnel exposed, while another U.S. government agency does not. I’ll continue working to make sure we take care of our veterans and their loved ones.”
    “Today, after decades of denial by our own government, the veterans who were exposed to toxic radiation and materials on the Nevada Test and Training Range are closer than ever to getting the recognition and benefits they’ve earned,” said Dave Crete, Chairman of The Invisible Enemy, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans who have experienced toxic exposure at the Nevada Test and Training Range. “We thank Senators Rosen and Cortez Masto for making the FORGOTTEN Veterans Act a legislative priority in the U.S. Senate, and all of our allies in Congress who are dedicated to righting this wrong, and securing justice for the brave men and women who risked their lives and lost their lives fighting this invisible enemy.”
    Specifically, the FORGOTTEN Veterans Act would: 
    Classify the Nevada Test and Training Range as contaminated.
    Require the Department of Defense (DOD) to document all exposures, including those that occur domestically, into the service member’s Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record, so it can be seen by the VA when service members transition to civilian life, while still protecting the classified nature of the location of their service. 
    Require the Secretary of the Air Force to identify all those who served within the NTTR since January 27, 1951, establish a process for service members and veterans to provide proof of their assignment within the NTTR, and make all efforts to identify individuals, without requiring them to submit evidence of their stationing.
    Establish a presumption of toxic exposure for DOD personnel who served at any Department of Energy (DOE) Covered Facilities – such as those within the NTTR – where DOE employees have a presumption of exposure and are covered under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act. One such DOE-covered facility within the NTTR is the Tonopah Test Range, which is both a DOE and DOD installation. 
    Add service at military installations within the NTTR to the list of recognized “radiation-risk activities” under VA law, dating back to January 27, 1951, including veterans who participated in the development, construction, operation, or maintenance of military installations at NTTR—beyond just nuclear test observers.
    Establish a presumption of toxic exposure for veterans who served on or above NTTR, easing the burden of proof in VA claims.
    Expand presumptive conditions for service connection by adding lipomas and tumor-related conditions to the list of automatically presumed service-connected illnesses.
    Senator Cortez Masto is a champion for our service members and veterans. She worked across the aisle to get legislation helping veterans exposed to Agent Orange and expanding benefits for women veterans signed into law. The senator sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Collins demanding he provide answers on the mass terminations of personnel across the VA, specifically those in Nevada, and how those terminations would impact services to Nevada veterans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Space is not the final frontier – it is the foundation of our future: UN deputy chief

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Addressing delegates at a UN forum on peaceful uses of outer space, Amina Mohammed urged greater international cooperation as the world becomes increasingly reliant on satellites for everything from disaster response to climate monitoring.

    “Space is not the final frontier. It is the foundation of our present,” she said.

    “Without satellites orbiting overhead right now, global food systems would collapse within weeks. Emergency responders would lose their lifelines. Climate scientists would be flying blind. And our hopes of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would be out of reach,” she added.

    Expanding access to space

    For nearly seven decades, the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space – the forum’s official name, has advanced international cooperation through five space treaties, sustainability guidelines and the Space 2030 Agenda.

    Ms. Mohammed highlighted the UN’s efforts through the Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), in helping make space more accessible – particularly for the more than half of UN Member States that still lack a satellite in orbit.

    OOSA’s programmes are opening opportunities for youth and women in developing countries, cultivating a more inclusive new generation of space leaders.

    It also supports countries in building their space capabilities through technical workshops and assistance for emerging programmes, having assisted Kenya, Guatemala, Moldova and Mauritius in launching their first satellites.

    Similarly, it is helping countries like Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago and Ghana, use satellite data to create detailed digital models of entire cities, allowing faster disaster response and saving lives.

    Space and sustainable development

    Fresh from the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla, Spain, Ms. Mohammed stressed that the areas the UN defines as critical for sustainable development acceleration all depend on space technologies.

    She also relayed a critical message from the conference: “In an era of constrained investment, we must align capital with high-impact solutions,” she said. “Space is one of them.”

    “The view from space shows no countries, no borders – only one shared planet, one common home. Let that perspective guide you as you build the governance frameworks for space exploration and use,” she concluded.

    “Let us make space a catalyst for achieving the SDGs.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, DeGette, Pettersen, Crow, Neguse Demand Answers on $70 Million in Stalled Funding for Colorado Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    Trump administration recently withheld $7 billion from schools nationwide

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet along with Representatives Diana DeGette, Brittany Pettersen, Jason Crow, and Joe Neguse called on Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to address the Department of Education’s decision to withhold $70 million in federal funding for Colorado schools.

    “School Districts and after-school programs across our state rightfully understood they would receive these mandatory funds after they were authorized by Congress,” wrote the lawmakers. “Announcing funding delays just over a month before the school year starts has forced Colorado school districts and after-school programs into an unnecessary, last minute scramble to ensure students and parents have the support they need for a successful year.”

    The frozen Title II, III, and IV federal funding supports elementary and secondary teacher training and professional development, family engagement programs, and initiatives that create safer school environments for all students.

    School districts had already built their budgets around these grants. The Department of Education froze the funding days before school districts expected to receive the funding.

    The text of the letter is available HERE and below.

    Dear Secretary McMahon:

    We write today in response to the Department of Education’s (the Department) decision to continue to withhold Title II, III, and IV federal funds. School districts throughout Colorado are depending on these funds to deliver critical services to students across the state. The delay and uncertainty around the distribution of this funding have made it incredibly difficult for school districts to plan and hire staff for the next school year.

    As you are aware, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act provides $29 billion in mandatory funding for various programs and activities that support students, teachers, and communities. Titles II, III, and IV, among other activities, provide funding to support elementary and secondary teacher retention and professional development, family engagement programs, and initiatives that create safer school environments for all students. This funding, which is less than .5% of the overall federal budget, supports programs in Colorado that reduce chronic absenteeism in schools, help districts hire teachers, and fund afterschool programs. This money is appropriated by Congress for these purposes and was signed into law by President Trump in March as part of the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025.

    While we understand that the Department is still reviewing this funding, the unpredictability has already caused disruptions for school districts. School Districts and after-school programs across our state rightfully understood they would receive these mandatory funds after they were authorized by Congress. Announcing funding delays just over a month before the school year starts has forced Colorado school districts and after-school programs into an unnecessary, last minute scramble to ensure students and parents have the support they need for a successful year.

    To that end, please provide clarity to our offices on when the Department will provide Colorado schools with their full funding disbursement by July 18, 2025. In your response, please confirm that these funds will be fully dispersed before the 2025-2026 school year begins.

    Our education system must ensure that every American student has the opportunity to thrive in our classrooms, and we stand ready to work with you to achieve this goal.

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to hearing the Department’s response.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyle, Wyden, Merkley: EPA Prioritizing J.H. Baxter Superfund Site Cleanup for Eugene Community

    Source: US Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04)

    July 09, 2025

    For Immediate Release: July 9, 2025 

    EUGENE, OR – Oregon’s U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), alongside Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, welcomed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) addition of the former J.H. Baxter site in Eugene to its Superfund National Priorities List (NPL)—an essential action, as sites included on the list are eligible to receive federal funding for long-term, permanent cleanup efforts.

    This announcement comes after Merkley led the Oregon lawmakers in pressing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to add the J.H. Baxter site to the Superfund NPL to safeguard the public health and environment of the Eugene community.

    “We raised our family in West Eugene and I know that our community has spent decades fighting to get the J.H. Baxter site cleaned up for the health of our community,” said Hoyle. “That’s why I joined Senators Wyden and Merkley in urging the EPA to take action, and I’m glad they listened. The Superfund designation is a critical step toward delivering the cleanup and accountability this community deserves.”

    “This Superfund announcement takes a significant public health step forward for Oregonians who make west Eugene their home and place of business,” Wyden said. “I’m glad the teamwork with Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Hoyle has generated this community win for the contaminated J.H. Baxter site, and I’ll keep watchdogging this process to make sure federal officials follow through fully on this commitment.”

    “The EPA adding the old J.H. Baxter site to its Superfund National Priorities List is a huge step forward in addressing the dangerous contamination that’s long concerned folks living and working in West Eugene,” Merkley said. “This designation I pushed for means a timely and comprehensive cleanup of chemical substances at the site is now within reach—essential to protecting the health and environment of the Eugene community for generations to come.”

    The EPA Superfund NPL is the list of U.S. sites where historic releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants pose significant threats to human health and the environment—and this list now includes the J.H. Baxter site.

    For nearly 80 years, J.H. Baxter treated wood products at a 35-acre facility in West Eugene. Hazardous substances and classified probable carcinogens, including creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP), were often used to treat wood products before the company ceased operations in January of 2022. But despite a halt in operations, toxic substances remained on site, contaminating soil and groundwater at the former facility and in the surrounding community.

    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) sampling of the surrounding community in 2021 found elevated levels of dioxins – widening the original scope of response efforts. DEQ has started the work to cleanup properties with the highest levels of dioxins, and EPA’s Region 10 is currently conducting a Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) at the site. While the TCRA is considered an interim measure to prevent additional releases of hazardous substances, it will not address all contamination.

    The Superfund NPL listing will now allow EPA to comprehensively address issues at the J.H. Baxter site, including by conducting a further evaluation of the nature and extent of the contamination, the risks posed by hazardous substances at the site, and ensure a thorough cleanup.

    A public meeting for the EPA to explain next steps in the Superfund process is slated for July 16 in Eugene. The agency expects Superfund site work to begin in early fall.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Gaza: A survey among MSF workers and their families showed that almost half of the people killed are children

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

    Gaza, 9 July 2025 – A recent retrospective mortality survey of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) staff and their families reveals the appalling death rate of Israel’s all-out war on Gaza, especially among children, which is consistent with conflict-related figures provided by the Gazan Ministry of Health.

    Compared to pre-7 October Ministry of Health estimates, the mortality rate was five times higher among the population surveyed. For children under five, mortality increased tenfold. For babies less than one month, the mortality rate was six times higher.

    The survey, run by MSF’s epidemiological Epicentre, covered 2,523 people (MSF workers and their family members) over the period between October 2023 and March 2025, and showed that more than two per cent of the people surveyed died since 7 October 2023, and seven per cent were injured. Furthermore, three-quarters of the deaths were due to war injuries, the vast majority of those from blasts.

    Forty-eight per cent of the people who died from blast injuries among our colleagues’ households were children and 40 per cent were under 10 years old.

    “This disregard for children’s lives clearly indicates that this war run by Israel in Gaza is against all Palestinians. The children of Gaza are being decimated,” says Amande Bazerolle, deputy manager of MSF’s emergency department. “Israel’s allies must put all their efforts to end the genocide taking place before our very eyes,” she says.

    The MSF survey has found a mortality rate in Gaza of 0.41 deaths per 10,000 people per day. It rises to 0.70 deaths for children under five years old. Twenty per cent of MSF households had at least one member injured by a blast or gunshot.

    The results of the survey, conducted among MSF staff and their families only, cannot be extrapolated or assumed as representative of the whole population of Gaza. In fact, medical staff and their families, including MSF, could be considered as having better access to healthcare than the rest of Gaza’s population.

    Despite this, the number of deaths not directly attributable to war wounds is increasing over the war, according to study observations. Findings showed that two-thirds of those with a chronic disease experienced one or more treatment interruption.

    This is the result of the Israeli campaign to systematically destroy the health system and the means of survival of the whole population. In addition, Israel has reduced medical evacuations to a minimum. According to WHO, more than 10,000 people are in urgent need of medical and surgical treatment that cannot be provided inside Gaza.

    Since 7 October 2023 and as of 25 June 2025, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported the killing of at least 56,156 Palestinians and the injury of 132,239 others.

    The quantitative data from the MSF study helps illustrate part of the reality in Gaza and supports other available data, a point emphasized by the study coordinator Dr Wendelin Moser, from MSF Epicentre.

    “When we compared the names of deceased individuals due to violence from our survey with the list of war-related deaths from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, we matched nearly 90 per cent. This indicates the validity of the Ministry of Health statistics on the number of deaths in Gaza since 7 October,” he says.

    The survey also provides unequivocal data on the level of destruction of MSF family members’ households. Only two per cent had a house that remained untouched. At the time of the survey, 59 per cent had a completely damaged house, 39 per cent had a partially damaged house, and 41 per cent of them live in tents.

    MSF calls on the Israeli authorities to stop the genocidal campaign against the Palestinians in Gaza; to lift the siege on food, fuel, medical, and humanitarian supplies immediately; and calls for Israel’s allies to help facilitate the urgent medical evacuations of people whose lives are in danger, and in particular of children.

     

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. 

    MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Spain and Brazil push global action to tax the super-rich and curb inequality

    Source: United Nations 4

    Presented during the UN’s 4th International Conference on Financing for Development – taking place this week in Sevilla, Spain – the proposal highlights a growing problem: the richest individuals often contribute less to public finances than ordinary taxpayers, thanks to lower effective tax rates and legal loopholes.

    “Our countries need more and more public revenues to meet their needs. Inequality is a problem everywhere and the richest pay less than the middle class – even less than lower-income taxpayers,” said Spain’s Secretary of State for Finance Jesús Gascón, during a press conference at the conference venue, where temperatures have soared to record highs in recent days.

    The two governments are calling on others to join a drive for a fairer, more progressive global tax system. They point to a stark reality: the wealthiest one per cent of the global population owns more than 95 per cent of humanity combined.

    UN News/Matt Wells

    The Spanish Secretary of State for Finance Jesús Gascón (on screen) addresses a meeting at the Financing for Development conference in Sevilla, Spain.

    Sharing knowledge, closing gaps

    In today’s interconnected world access to reliable data is essential. The initiative prioritises information sharing – between governments and tax authorities – to help expose gaps in tax systems, close loopholes and combat evasion and avoidance.

    Improving data quality and building national capacities for data analysis will help tax administrations identify where and how wealth is concentrated, how much is currently being paid and what needs to change.

    Though some progress has already been made, the countries say much more must be done and many more countries should come on board.

    “There’s a real need to know who the beneficial owners are behind companies and legal structures used to conceal wealth,” said Mr. Gascón. The initiative also proposes technical cooperation, training in data analytics and peer review mechanisms to strengthen national tax systems.

    A global wealth registry?

    Spain and Brazil are even considering steps toward a global wealth registry – acknowledging that this would take time, political will and major national efforts.

    But the aim is clear: more transparency, more accountability and fairer contributions from the richest.

    “We cannot tolerate the intensity of inequality, which has been increasing in recent years,” said Brazil’s Minister-Counsellor to the UN, José Gilberto Scandiucci denying that this was some kind of far-leftist agenda.

    “This is a moderate initiative to confront a very radical reality.”

    The proposal forms part of the Seville Platform for Action, which is turbocharging voluntary actions to help reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – currently way off track for the 2030 deadline.

    G20 highlights ‘high worth’ factor

    It also follows the 2024 agreement by the G20 industrialised nations who met in Rio (Brazil) last year – the first international accord to commit to a joint tax agenda for high-net-worth individuals.

    A three-month work plan is now being drawn up with regular meetings planned to track progress. The goal – bring more countries, international organisations and civil society on board to push forward tax reforms targeting the ultra-rich.

    “If we want to effectively tax the super-rich, fight inequality and make our tax systems fairer and more progressive, we need political will – and we need to act within our means,” Mr. Gascón added.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 119 confirmed dead in US Texas flooding, death toll to continue surging

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The July 4 devastating flooding in central Texas has claimed at least 119 lives as of Wednesday morning, with the death toll widely expected to further climb, local authorities said.

    Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha confirmed that at least 161 people remain missing in the hardest-hit county, including five girls and a counselor from an all-girls summer camp along the Guadalupe River.

    Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Tuesday night that at least 173 people were unaccounted for across the state. He has ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff until sunrise on July 14 to honor the victims.

    Meanwhile, three people died after flash floods battered the village of Ruidoso in the central southern state of New Mexico on Tuesday, according to New Mexico officials.

    According to the National Weather Service, floods kill an average of 113 people per year in the United States over the past decade, accounting for nearly one-sixth of all weather-related deaths.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The One Big Beautiful Bill Invests in Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–The One Big Beautiful Bill Act invests in American families by making the Trump tax cuts permanent, enhancing the child tax credit and strengthening childcare assistance. Together, these measures make raising a family more affordable for hardworking taxpayers. 

    “This legislation not only prevents the biggest tax hike in history, but it also provides significant tax relief for hardworking families through measures like increasing and making the doubled child tax credit permanent, and enhancing tax benefits that make child care more affordable,” said Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).

    Key wins:

    • Permanent lower tax rates, letting Americans keep more of their hard-earned money.
    • Permanent increased and enhanced $2,200 child tax credit for tens of millions of families.
    • Permanent increased and enhanced standard deduction, claimed by over 90 percent of taxpayers.
    • Strengthens employer-provided childcare credit and boosts childcare assistance.
    • Establishes savings accounts for newborns, building financial security for the next generation.  

    What they are saying:

    “We applaud the Senate’s action to progress this critical legislation and expand upon President Trump’s tax relief for hardworking Americans. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill will protect families and small businesses from the largest tax hike in history and deliver No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and new tax cuts for seniors. The passage of this bill will deliver the permanence and certainty both individual taxpayers and businesses.” – U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

    “Passing an extension and permanency for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) out of the Senate is the next step in extending tax cuts for working Americans. The TCJA was an unmitigated success that benefitted American families, workers, and the overall economy.” – Americans for Prosperity

    Click HERE to learn more about the Finance Committee provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Donalds Leads Coalition To Increase Access To Capital For Small Businesses And Small Banks

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL)

    Donalds Leads Coalition To Increase Access To Capital For Small Businesses And Small Banks

    Washington, April 11, 2025

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) has introduced transformative legislation to increase access to capital for small businesses and small banks.
    H.R. 2835 – “The Small Bank Holding Company Relief Act” is the 14th piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Donalds during the 119th Congress, is co-led by Congressman Mike Haridopolos (R-FL), and has received the support of Congressman Frank Lucas (R-OK).

    Specifically, the “The Small Bank Holding Company Relief Act” raises the consolidated asset threshold of Bank Holding Companies (BHCs) to qualify as Small Bank Holding Companies (SBHCs) from $3 billion to $25 billion. Raising the asset threshold for SBHC would enable more banks to operate at higher debt levels, which can allow them to raise capital more cheaply. 

    SBHCs are allowed to operate at higher levels of debt which can be used to capitalize the bank subsidiary—promoting growth and lending. This legislation does not change capital rules and regulations for subsidiary banks. Congressman Donalds released the following statement:

    “Under the crushing. regulatory regime of President Biden, the American Dream was out of reach for millions of ambitious entrepreneurs across our nation. Under President Trump, we are putting the American people first again and unleashing prosperity. This is why I’m proud to introduce ‘The Small Bank Holding Company Relief Act’ alongside Congressman Haridopolos. This legislation will increase much-needed access to capital for small businesses and small banks. The American Dream is for all Americans, and with increased access to capital, what once were just dreams will become reality.”

    Background:

    • Bank Holding Companies are corporations that own controlling interests in one or more banks, but they do not offer banking services themselves.

    • Currently, a Bank Holding Company must have less than $3 billion in consolidated assets to qualify as a Small Bank Holding Company.

    • Small Bank Holding Companies are exempt from the Federal Reserve’s risk-based capital and leverage rules.

    More:

    • Read Legislative Text HERE.
    • See Congress.gov Bill Profile HERE.
    • See Social Media Summary Graphics BELOW:

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Donalds Announces April Town Hall In Estero

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL)

    Donalds Announces April Town Hall In Estero

    Washington, April 11, 2025

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) has released the following information announcing an in-person Town Hall event in Estero, Florida.

    Congressman Donalds is hosting this Town Hall to offer the residents of Florida’s 19th Congressional District an update on legislative matters occurring on Capitol Hill. Town Hall attendees will propose questions, share concerns, and learn of ways that legislation on Capitol Hill impacts the greater Southwest Florida community, the Sunshine State, and the nation.

    Pre-registration tickets are available exclusively for voting constituents of Florida’s 19th Congressional District.

    For those unable to attend the Town Hall event in person, all constituents of Florida’s 19th Congressional District are invited to tune-in to virtual broadcasts of the event, which will be found on the Congressman’s official social media accounts.

    WHO:

    • Congressman Byron Donalds (FL-19)
    • Voting constituents of Florida’s 19th Congressional District

    WHERE:

    • Estero High School, 21900 River Ranch Rd, Estero, FL 33928

    WHEN:

    • April 21, 2025
    • Arrival time for pre-registered, verified FL-19 Voters: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
    • General admission for verified FL-19 Voters: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
    • Event begins: 6:30 PM

    HOW:

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Donalds Leads Bicameral Coalition To Prevent Federal Overreach Into Self-Directed 401K Investments

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Byron Donalds (R-FL)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL) has introduced bicameral legislation to prevent the federal government from imposing burdensome restrictions on how Americans can invest into their self-directed 401Ks.

    H.R. 2544 – “The Financial Freedom Act of 2025” is the 13th piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Donalds during the 119th Congress and is co-led by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) in the United States Senate.

    Specifically, the “Financial Freedom Act of 2025” would prevent overreaching and burdensome restrictions on investments made in a self-directed 401(k) account and prohibits the Department of Labor from limiting the types of investments that self-directed 401(k) account investors can choose to invest through a brokerage window. American investors who have chosen to personally oversee their retirement account should control their financial destiny—not government bureaucrats.

    “Over the past four years, we have seen the Left repeatedly wield the heavy hand of the federal government and attempt to cut-off industries such as digital assets and fossil fuels from the financial system,” said Congressman Byron Donalds (R-FL).“Hardworking Americans from all walks of life deserve the economic liberty to control their own fiscal future. That is why I’m proud to join Senator Tuberville in introducing the Financial Freedom Act. This legislation will protect retirement accounts from unelected Washington bureaucrats and ensure Americans can invest as they see fit.”

    “Folks work for decades, live within their means, and invest wisely so they can retire comfortably,” said Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). “Now, the Biden administration has taken it upon itself to dictate what assets are viewed worthy of retirement investment, taking the decision away from individual investors by issuing regulatory guidance targeting cryptocurrency. This is government overreach at its finest. The government has no business standing in the way of retirement savers who want to make their own investment choices. When you’ve earned your paycheck, how you invest your money should be your decision. My legislation makes sure that is the case.” 

    Background:

    • In 2022, the Biden administration’s Department of Labor sought to impose new regulatory and investigatory burdens on employers and financial firms that allow investors to self-direct their retirement investments through a brokerage window.

    • 401(k) retirement savers have a legal right, where permitted by their employer-sponsored retirement plan, to invest the money they have worked tirelessly to earn as they choose.

    • The DOL, nor any other government agency, should not be able to prohibit Americans with self-direct retirement accounts from investing in a major asset class.

    • With Republicans in control the immediate threat of this overregulation is zero, however the Financial Freedom Act would protect industries—such as fossil fuels or gun company stocks, from being targeted by the Left in the future.

    More:

    • Read Text of the Donalds “Financial Freedom Act” HERE.
    • See Congress.gov Bill Profile of the Donalds “Financial Freedom Act” HERE.
    • See Congress.gov Bill Profile of the Tuberville Senate Companion Bill ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Following Deadly Flooding, Luján Sounds Alarm on Dangerous Republican Plan to Gut Public Broadcasting

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-New Mexico)
    In Every Corner of New Mexico, New Mexicans Rely on Public Broadcasting to Stay Safe During Natural Disasters and Connect with Trusted News
    WATCH Senator Luján’s Floor Speech HERE
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, took to the Senate floor to deliver a floor speech calling out the Trump administration’s plan to strip $1.1 billion of previously allocated federal funding for public radio and television stations nationwide. Public broadcasting is critical to stay informed and safe during natural disasters and to connect with trusted news. Senator Luján’s floor speech comes amid deadly flooding in New Mexico and Texas.
    An excerpt of Senator Luján’s floor speech is available below:
    New Mexico is far too familiar with the devastation and destruction that come with fires, flooding, and other natural disasters.
    Three years ago, we experienced one of the worst fires in our state’s history with the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire.
    A critical part of that response was our local radio stations and public broadcasters disseminating information in real-time about evacuations, shelter information, food drives, and state and federal resources.
    As a matter of fact, at a time when mobile phones weren’t working, most communications were down, it was only these local radio stations who were also benefiting from the transmitters from public broadcasting that they were able to communicate with so many constituents.
    These communications are now under attack by Congressional Republicans and the White House.
    Senate Democrats are sounding the alarm and leading the charge to stop this dangerous rescission package before it harms families, communities, and the public broadcasting that they rely on.
    From the moment we wake up to the time we turn in for the night, New Mexicans rely on radio and public broadcasting to stay safe during natural disasters and to connect with trusted news, educational programming, and our favorite New Mexico musicians. Sometimes even a basketball game or two.
    Over the past several weeks, I have received texts, calls, and people coming to my office, pleading with us in the United States Senate to save public radio and public broadcasting.
    New Mexicans who work at radio stations are calling in to say they’re worried about losing their jobs.
    From every corner of our state, New Mexicans are speaking out with one clear message: do not mess with public broadcasting.
    Radio is one of the most dependable ways to get information out when disaster strikes a community.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces additional deployment of California resources to support New Mexico following Texas and Oregon disaster response efforts

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jul 9, 2025

    What you need to know: California is sending more resources to assist New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas in disaster response, including incident support personnel and Urban Search and Rescue teams. 

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that California is continuing to answer calls for assistance from other states facing severe disasters by deploying additional emergency resources to New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas.

    California is sending Urban Search and Rescue teams, firefighter strike teams, and specialized incident support personnel to assist in response efforts ranging from deadly flooding in Texas to severe wildfires in Oregon and flooding in New Mexico.

    “California stands ready to help all Americans in times of crisis. Whether it’s battling wildfires or conducting life-saving search and rescue operations, our state’s highly trained first responders are answering the call to serve communities in need.” 

    Governor Gavin Newsom

    Deployments include:

    • Texas flooding: California deployed 9 FEMA Incident Support Team personnel to Texas alongside a cache of equipment and supplies. These staff members bring advanced planning and coordination expertise to help local and federal agencies manage the impacts of ongoing severe flooding.
    • Additional Texas support: 18 personnel from California local agencies have been mobilized as part of a second wave of canine search and recovery teams.
    • Oregon wildfires: A CAL FIRE strike team of five engines including 19 personnel, as well as 28 additional overhead personnel have been sent to Oregon to assist with containment efforts on dangerous wildfires threatening communities and infrastructure.
    • New Mexico flooding: Three additional FEMA Incident Support personnel from California have been deployed to Ruidoso, New Mexico, to support flood response and recovery operations.

    “California’s emergency management system is built on mutual aid and the spirit of helping our neighbors,” said Nancy Ward, Director of Cal OES. “Our highly trained teams stand ready to deploy wherever they’re needed, bringing critical expertise and resources to save lives and support communities in crisis. We’re proud to assist Texas, Oregon, and New Mexico during these challenging times.”

    “We stand with Oregon during this critical time, just as they’ve stood with us during some of California’s toughest fire seasons,” said Anale Burlew, Chief Deputy Director of CAL FIRE. “These mutual aid partnerships are built on trust, coordination, and a shared commitment to public safety.”

    Governor Newsom emphasized that even as California deploys aid to other states, Cal OES is ensuring that resources remain available to respond to emergencies at home, including the state’s own heightened wildfire risk during the summer season.

    This deployment builds on California’s far-reaching efforts to aid other states during emergencies. In 2023, California deployed Urban Search and Rescue members to Hawaii to support wildfire response. In 2022, California deployed firefighters, disaster recovery experts, and other personnel to Montana, New Mexico, and Oregon. In 2021, California sent fire engines to assist Oregon’s response to the Bootleg Fire and Specialized Urban Search and Rescue Resources teams to Florida following the Surfside condo collapse.

    Press releases, Recent news

    Recent news

    Jul 9, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis today issued a proclamation declaring July 2025 as Disability Pride Month.The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATION California joins communities around the nation in…

    Jul 9, 2025

    News What you need to know: Governor Newsom announced $35 million for law enforcement partners, local governments and community groups tackling impaired driving. Sacramento, California – Helping to address the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or…

    Jul 8, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO — As wildfire conditions intensify across the Pacific Northwest, Governor Newsom has directed the deployment of a CAL FIRE Type 3 engine strike team to assist firefighting efforts in southern Oregon. The deployment includes five fire engines and a…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Banks Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S.-Israel Military Stockpile 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced a bill to strengthen the U.S.-Israel weapons stockpile. The bipartisan Weapons Resupply, Stockpile, and Alliance-Israel Act would extend a program that lets the U.S. store weapons and military equipment in Israel, which both countries can use in a crisis. Keeping this stockpile in place helps the U.S. stay ready for emergencies in the region and makes sure that Israel, one of America’s closest allies, has the tools it needs to defend itself.
    “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation that will bolster our national security and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship,” said Senator Rosen. “By extending the authorization for the War Reserves Stockpile in Israel, we are reinforcing our commitment to Israel and ensuring both American and Israeli forces have access to the critical resources they need to respond swiftly in times of crisis. This is about keeping Americans safe and supporting our allies.”
    “This bill strengthens America’s military readiness and ensures we’re prepared for any crisis in the region,” said Senator Banks. “Supporting Israel, our most important Middle East ally, directly protects U.S. interests and helps keep Americans safe.”
    Senator Rosen has consistently championed U.S.–Israel defense cooperation. In June, she returned from a visit to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, and Iraq, pressing for stronger regional stability and deeper defense coordination. In April 2024, Senator Rosen helped pass a bipartisan national security package that included $4 billion in funding for Israel’s missile defense systems—Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. She also urged her Senate colleagues to oppose resolutions that would restrict weapons for Israel, underscoring Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Banks Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S.-Israel Military Stockpile 

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced a bill to strengthen the U.S.-Israel weapons stockpile. The bipartisan Weapons Resupply, Stockpile, and Alliance-Israel Act would extend a program that lets the U.S. store weapons and military equipment in Israel, which both countries can use in a crisis. Keeping this stockpile in place helps the U.S. stay ready for emergencies in the region and makes sure that Israel, one of America’s closest allies, has the tools it needs to defend itself.
    “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation that will bolster our national security and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship,” said Senator Rosen. “By extending the authorization for the War Reserves Stockpile in Israel, we are reinforcing our commitment to Israel and ensuring both American and Israeli forces have access to the critical resources they need to respond swiftly in times of crisis. This is about keeping Americans safe and supporting our allies.”
    “This bill strengthens America’s military readiness and ensures we’re prepared for any crisis in the region,” said Senator Banks. “Supporting Israel, our most important Middle East ally, directly protects U.S. interests and helps keep Americans safe.”
    Senator Rosen has consistently championed U.S.–Israel defense cooperation. In June, she returned from a visit to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, and Iraq, pressing for stronger regional stability and deeper defense coordination. In April 2024, Senator Rosen helped pass a bipartisan national security package that included $4 billion in funding for Israel’s missile defense systems—Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. She also urged her Senate colleagues to oppose resolutions that would restrict weapons for Israel, underscoring Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen, Banks Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen U.S.-Israel Military Stockpile 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced a bill to strengthen the U.S.-Israel weapons stockpile. The bipartisan Weapons Resupply, Stockpile, and Alliance-Israel Act would extend a program that lets the U.S. store weapons and military equipment in Israel, which both countries can use in a crisis. Keeping this stockpile in place helps the U.S. stay ready for emergencies in the region and makes sure that Israel, one of America’s closest allies, has the tools it needs to defend itself.
    “I’m proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation that will bolster our national security and strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship,” said Senator Rosen. “By extending the authorization for the War Reserves Stockpile in Israel, we are reinforcing our commitment to Israel and ensuring both American and Israeli forces have access to the critical resources they need to respond swiftly in times of crisis. This is about keeping Americans safe and supporting our allies.”
    “This bill strengthens America’s military readiness and ensures we’re prepared for any crisis in the region,” said Senator Banks. “Supporting Israel, our most important Middle East ally, directly protects U.S. interests and helps keep Americans safe.”
    Senator Rosen has consistently championed U.S.–Israel defense cooperation. In June, she returned from a visit to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, and Iraq, pressing for stronger regional stability and deeper defense coordination. In April 2024, Senator Rosen helped pass a bipartisan national security package that included $4 billion in funding for Israel’s missile defense systems—Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow. She also urged her Senate colleagues to oppose resolutions that would restrict weapons for Israel, underscoring Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorist attacks.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle: EPA Prioritizing J.H. Baxter Superfund Site Cleanup for Eugene Community

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    July 09, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), welcomed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) addition of the former J.H. Baxter site in Eugene to its Superfund National Priorities List (NPL)—an essential action, as sites included on the list are eligible to receive federal funding for long-term, permanent cleanup efforts.

    This announcement comes after Merkley led the Oregon lawmakers in pressing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to add the J.H. Baxter site to the Superfund NPL to safeguard the public health and environment of the Eugene community.

    “The EPA adding the old J.H. Baxter site to its Superfund National Priorities List is a huge step forward in addressing the dangerous contamination that’s long concerned folks living and working in West Eugene,” Merkley said. “This designation I pushed for means a timely and comprehensive cleanup of chemical substances at the site is now within reach—essential to protecting the health and environment of the Eugene community for generations to come.”

    “This Superfund announcement takes a significant public health step forward for Oregonians who make west Eugene their home and place of business,” Wyden said. “I’m glad the teamwork with Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Hoyle has generated this community win for the contaminated J.H. Baxter site, and I’ll keep watchdogging this process to make sure federal officials follow through fully on this commitment.

    “We raised our family in West Eugene and I know that our community has spent decades fighting to get the J.H. Baxter site cleaned up for the health of our community,” said Hoyle. “That’s why I joined Senators Wyden and Merkley in urging the EPA to take action, and I’m glad they listened. The Superfund designation is a critical step toward delivering the cleanup and accountability this community deserves.”

    The EPA Superfund NPL is the list of U.S. sites where historic releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants pose significant threats to human health and the environment—and this list now includes the J.H. Baxter site.

    For nearly 80 years, J.H. Baxter treated wood products at a 35-acre facility in West Eugene. Hazardous substances and classified probable carcinogens, including creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP), were often used to treat wood products before the company ceased operations in January of 2022. But despite a halt in operations, toxic substances remained on site, contaminating soil and groundwater at the former facility and in the surrounding community.

    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) sampling of the surrounding community in 2021 found elevated levels of dioxins – widening the original scope of response efforts. DEQ has started the work to cleanup properties with the highest levels of dioxins, and EPA’s Region 10 is currently conducting a Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) at the site. While the TCRA is considered an interim measure to prevent additional releases of hazardous substances, it will not address all contamination.

    The Superfund NPL listing will now allow EPA to comprehensively address issues at the J.H. Baxter site, including by conducting a further evaluation of the nature and extent of the contamination, the risks posed by hazardous substances at the site, and ensure a thorough cleanup.

    A public meeting for the EPA to explain next steps in the Superfund process is slated for July 16 in Eugene. The agency expects Superfund site work to begin in early fall.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle: EPA Prioritizing J.H. Baxter Superfund Site Cleanup for Eugene Community

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    July 09, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), welcomed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) addition of the former J.H. Baxter site in Eugene to its Superfund National Priorities List (NPL)—an essential action, as sites included on the list are eligible to receive federal funding for long-term, permanent cleanup efforts.
    This announcement comes after Merkley led the Oregon lawmakers in pressing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to add the J.H. Baxter site to the Superfund NPL to safeguard the public health and environment of the Eugene community.
    “The EPA adding the old J.H. Baxter site to its Superfund National Priorities List is a huge step forward in addressing the dangerous contamination that’s long concerned folks living and working in West Eugene,” Merkley said. “This designation I pushed for means a timely and comprehensive cleanup of chemical substances at the site is now within reach—essential to protecting the health and environment of the Eugene community for generations to come.”
    “This Superfund announcement takes a significant public health step forward for Oregonians who make west Eugene their home and place of business,” Wyden said. “I’m glad the teamwork with Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Hoyle has generated this community win for the contaminated J.H. Baxter site, and I’ll keep watchdogging this process to make sure federal officials follow through fully on this commitment.
    “We raised our family in West Eugene and I know that our community has spent decades fighting to get the J.H. Baxter site cleaned up for the health of our community,” said Hoyle. “That’s why I joined Senators Wyden and Merkley in urging the EPA to take action, and I’m glad they listened. The Superfund designation is a critical step toward delivering the cleanup and accountability this community deserves.”
    The EPA Superfund NPL is the list of U.S. sites where historic releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants pose significant threats to human health and the environment—and this list now includes the J.H. Baxter site.
    For nearly 80 years, J.H. Baxter treated wood products at a 35-acre facility in West Eugene. Hazardous substances and classified probable carcinogens, including creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP), were often used to treat wood products before the company ceased operations in January of 2022. But despite a halt in operations, toxic substances remained on site, contaminating soil and groundwater at the former facility and in the surrounding community.
    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) sampling of the surrounding community in 2021 found elevated levels of dioxins – widening the original scope of response efforts. DEQ has started the work to cleanup properties with the highest levels of dioxins, and EPA’s Region 10 is currently conducting a Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) at the site. While the TCRA is considered an interim measure to prevent additional releases of hazardous substances, it will not address all contamination.
    The Superfund NPL listing will now allow EPA to comprehensively address issues at the J.H. Baxter site, including by conducting a further evaluation of the nature and extent of the contamination, the risks posed by hazardous substances at the site, and ensure a thorough cleanup.
    A public meeting for the EPA to explain next steps in the Superfund process is slated for July 16 in Eugene. The agency expects Superfund site work to begin in early fall.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle: EPA Prioritizing J.H. Baxter Superfund Site Cleanup for Eugene Community

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

    July 09, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), welcomed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) addition of the former J.H. Baxter site in Eugene to its Superfund National Priorities List (NPL)—an essential action, as sites included on the list are eligible to receive federal funding for long-term, permanent cleanup efforts.

    This announcement comes after Merkley led the Oregon lawmakers in pressing EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to add the J.H. Baxter site to the Superfund NPL to safeguard the public health and environment of the Eugene community.

    “The EPA adding the old J.H. Baxter site to its Superfund National Priorities List is a huge step forward in addressing the dangerous contamination that’s long concerned folks living and working in West Eugene,” Merkley said. “This designation I pushed for means a timely and comprehensive cleanup of chemical substances at the site is now within reach—essential to protecting the health and environment of the Eugene community for generations to come.”

    “This Superfund announcement takes a significant public health step forward for Oregonians who make west Eugene their home and place of business,” Wyden said. “I’m glad the teamwork with Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Hoyle has generated this community win for the contaminated J.H. Baxter site, and I’ll keep watchdogging this process to make sure federal officials follow through fully on this commitment.

    “We raised our family in West Eugene and I know that our community has spent decades fighting to get the J.H. Baxter site cleaned up for the health of our community,” said Hoyle. “That’s why I joined Senators Wyden and Merkley in urging the EPA to take action, and I’m glad they listened. The Superfund designation is a critical step toward delivering the cleanup and accountability this community deserves.”

    The EPA Superfund NPL is the list of U.S. sites where historic releases of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants pose significant threats to human health and the environment—and this list now includes the J.H. Baxter site.

    For nearly 80 years, J.H. Baxter treated wood products at a 35-acre facility in West Eugene. Hazardous substances and classified probable carcinogens, including creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP), were often used to treat wood products before the company ceased operations in January of 2022. But despite a halt in operations, toxic substances remained on site, contaminating soil and groundwater at the former facility and in the surrounding community.

    The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) sampling of the surrounding community in 2021 found elevated levels of dioxins – widening the original scope of response efforts. DEQ has started the work to cleanup properties with the highest levels of dioxins, and EPA’s Region 10 is currently conducting a Time Critical Removal Action (TCRA) at the site. While the TCRA is considered an interim measure to prevent additional releases of hazardous substances, it will not address all contamination.

    The Superfund NPL listing will now allow EPA to comprehensively address issues at the J.H. Baxter site, including by conducting a further evaluation of the nature and extent of the contamination, the risks posed by hazardous substances at the site, and ensure a thorough cleanup.

    A public meeting for the EPA to explain next steps in the Superfund process is slated for July 16 in Eugene. The agency expects Superfund site work to begin in early fall.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Shaheen, New Hampshire Delegation Blast Trump’s “Big Beautiful Betrayal”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

    (Manchester, NH) – This week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), alongside Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), held a press conference at Waypoint to highlight the harmful impacts of Republicans’ disastrous budget megabill on New Hampshire. You can view front page coverage of the press conference here or in full below.

    The bill will take health care and food assistance away from millions while also ending tax credits that help folks save on their utility bills, all to give tax breaks to billionaires and corporations. More than 46,000 Granite Staters will lose their health care coverage through Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and thousands risk losing food assistance. It will also raise household energy and health care bills for everyone while adding trillions to the debt, in order to give the top .1% of people an extra $300,000 a year on average.

    More Below:

    Union Leader: N.H. Dem delegation calls Trump bu­­dget the ‘big betrayal’

    • Speaking at a news conference at Waypoint in Manchester, the quartet charged what Trump has called the “big, beautiful bill” will cut off health care to 45,000 Granite Staters and reduce or eliminate SNAP food benefits for low-income families while raising energy and property taxes for the entire state.
    • “There is nothing beautiful about taking health care and food from struggling families and giving tax cuts to billionaires,” said U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. “What the president calls the big, beautiful bill, I call the big betrayal of the American people.”

    WMUR: NH congressional delegation unites to blast local effects of spending, tax cut bill

    • The full New Hampshire congressional delegation continues to sound the alarm over the impacts of the budget reconciliation legislation that is now the law of the land, saying cuts to Medicaid will be felt far beyond the social safety net.
    • Shaheen and Hassan, along with U.S. Reps. Chris Pappas and Maggie Goodlander, said the bill is going to downshift costs from the federal government to the states and from states to taxpayers.

    NHPR: New Hampshire’s congressional delegation condemns U.S. budget bill

    • Shaheen said working parents, children and seniors could also lose access to SNAP (Supplemental Food Assistance Program) benefits, and families that use low income heating assistance could be affected as tax energy credits for efficiency have been eliminated from the federal budget.
    • “I don’t think this is what the people in New Hampshire want to see, and it’s certainly not what Americans deserve,” Shaheen said. “At a moment when tariffs are already squeezing Americans’ cost of living, Congress should be doing better. We should be expanding affordable health care, not cutting it to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest and the biggest corporations.”

    Fox News: Dems say their increasingly ‘frustrated’ base is mobilized in the fight against Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

    • “The big beautiful betrayal of the American people” is how longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the dean of the delegation, described the sweeping Republican-crafted domestic policy package.
    • The delegation teamed up on Tuesday in New Hampshire’s largest city at Waypoint, which notes that it’s the state’s longest-running home and community-based care charitable organization. Waypoint officials noted that roughly three-quarters of the people they service are on Medicaid.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Sens. Warner & Kaine Applaud Senate Reapproval of VA Medical Facility Leases

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement after the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works voted to approve updated authorizations for 18 Veterans Affairs (VA) major medical facility leases, including a proposed lease for an outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads:

    “We are very encouraged to see the Senate EPW Committee heed our request to quickly reauthorize 18 VA medical facility leases, including one for a new outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads. This facility would fill a critical gap, providing broader access and more convenient services for veterans on the south side of the region, who currently represent over 60 percent of the Hampton VA Medical Center’s patient base. We will continue to press our colleagues in the House of Representatives to finalize the reauthorization process and ensure that our nation’s veterans are not forced to endure unacceptable wait times or travel burdensome distances to access the high-quality care they have earned through their sacrifice and dedication.”

    While these leases were originally authorized under the PACT Act, which both senators strongly supported, updated cost estimates and rent bids prompted the VA and the General Services Administration (GSA) to seek reauthorization from four congressional committees. To date, the leases have been reapproved by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. One final approval, from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, remains.

    Sens. Warner and Kaine have long fought to expand health care and benefits for Virginia’s nearly 700,000 veterans. Sens. Warner and Kaine began raising the alarm about the significant backlog of unapproved VA leases in 2016. After putting significant pressure on officials across the federal government, Congress unanimously passed the Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, legislation written by Sen. Warner and supported by Sen. Kaine, to cut the backlog and get over two dozen delayed VA medical facilities’ leases approved.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Sens. Warner & Kaine Applaud Senate Reapproval of VA Medical Facility Leases

    US Senate News:

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

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement after the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works voted to approve updated authorizations for 18 Veterans Affairs (VA) major medical facility leases, including a proposed lease for an outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads:

    “We are very encouraged to see the Senate EPW Committee heed our request to quickly reauthorize 18 VA medical facility leases, including one for a new outpatient clinic in Hampton Roads. This facility would fill a critical gap, providing broader access and more convenient services for veterans on the south side of the region, who currently represent over 60 percent of the Hampton VA Medical Center’s patient base. We will continue to press our colleagues in the House of Representatives to finalize the reauthorization process and ensure that our nation’s veterans are not forced to endure unacceptable wait times or travel burdensome distances to access the high-quality care they have earned through their sacrifice and dedication.”

    While these leases were originally authorized under the PACT Act, which both senators strongly supported, updated cost estimates and rent bids prompted the VA and the General Services Administration (GSA) to seek reauthorization from four congressional committees. To date, the leases have been reapproved by the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. One final approval, from the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, remains.

    Sens. Warner and Kaine have long fought to expand health care and benefits for Virginia’s nearly 700,000 veterans. Sens. Warner and Kaine began raising the alarm about the significant backlog of unapproved VA leases in 2016. After putting significant pressure on officials across the federal government, Congress unanimously passed the Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act, legislation written by Sen. Warner and supported by Sen. Kaine, to cut the backlog and get over two dozen delayed VA medical facilities’ leases approved.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Meets with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Discuss Peace in the Middle East

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) released the following statement after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss U.S. support for Israel. The meeting comes after President Trump’s successful efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
    “Prime Minister Netanyahu forcibly put forward his case of how peace in the Middle East can result from a successful raid upon Iran, and how the Iranian government is oppressing its own people and destabilizing the region. He was very convincing,” said Dr. Cassidy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE arrests one of El Salvador’s “Top 100 Most Wanted” hiding in Nebraska

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    OMAHA, Neb. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested a high-ranking member of the violent MS-13 gang who was listed among El Salvador’s top 100 most wanted fugitives July 9.

    The Salvadoran national is a criminal alien wanted in El Salvador for the aggravated homicide of five victims; attempted aggravated homicide; deprivation of liberty; and terrorist organization affiliation.

    The criminal alien was apprehended alongside an MS-13 associate he was residing with and who was also in the United States illegally.

    His associate, Rene Saul Escobar Ochoa, 30, is a criminal alien, known MS-13 gang member and foreign terrorist also wanted in El Salvador. Escobar Ochoa is accused of giving orders to fellow gang members to commit a variety of crimes, including multiple homicides, extortion, imprisonment and drug trafficking.

    “When ICE agents move in to make an arrest, it is extremely important that the public not interfere,” said ICE acting Director Todd M. Lyons. “The misinformation, and sometimes blatant lies, being spread around the country could result in someone stepping into a federal operation and suddenly finding themselves face-to-face with a killer who has nothing to lose.”

    Both individuals were arrested without incident in a targeted enforcement action. They had embedded themselves in the Omaha area, where they posed severe threats to the local community’s safety.

    “These illegal aliens didn’t just sneak into our country; they brought with them a legacy of violence, terror and death,” said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito, whose office oversees Omaha. “They thought they could hide in America’s heartland, but they were sadly mistaken. Not on our watch.”

    HSI, ICE’s Enforcement Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are conducting the investigation.

    “Our ICE officers and agents are protecting your neighborhoods, even when you don’t know the threat is there, so either support them or get out of the way,” concluded Lyons.

    The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Pushes Energy Nominee to Uphold Hanford Tri-Party Agreement & Consent Decree

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.09.25

    Cantwell Pushes Energy Nominee to Uphold Hanford Tri-Party Agreement & Consent Decree

    Questions Timothy Walsh, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, on support for Hanford cleanup plan

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, pushed Timothy Walsh, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Environmental Management, to prioritize Hanford cleanup and uphold the Tri-Party Agreement and the Consent Decree milestones.

    Sen. Cantwell questioned Mr. Walsh today during a hearing of the committee.

    Sen. Cantwell: Do you commit to upholding the Tri-Party Agreement and the Consent Decree milestones that are part of this process?

    Walsh: Yeah. Thank you for that question. Senator Cantwell, and you know, before I really look forward to getting out to Hanford, meeting you out there, and digging into this. It’s a critically important mission. The people of Washington state and indeed, all Americans deserve to live in a safe, clean environment. I know this has been an ongoing process.

    Cantwell: This is a federal responsibility, right?

    Walsh: It is.

    Cantwell: So, it’s the federal government’s responsibility. We just are a little more of a watchdog just because we’re there. Yes, and we have to be.

    Walsh: And I’m a man of action. I understand the consent agreement. I understand the Tri-Party Agreement. It has outlined the framework of the cleanup and responsibilities, and has, it’s a living document that’s been modified a few times over the last 20 years, and you have my commitment that we’re going to work together and that it’s going to be a priority in the Office of Environmental Management.

    Cantwell: What nuclear waste understanding and technical expertise would you bring to the situation?

    Walsh: Well, I can tell you that I’m a quick learner [and have] an engineering background. I’m a sort of an engineering geek, and like anything I’ve accomplished in my life, whether it was building a complex semiconductor plant, you rely on the experts. And I think what Washington, you know, Hanford site needs is really leadership and a good, solid plan that’s well executed, and that’s what I intend to bring.

    The negotiated agreement, which includes the Tri-Party Agreement, spells out how the State of Washington, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and the U.S.. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must cooperate to ensure that cleanup of the radioactive nuclear waste at Hanford remains in compliance with federal law.

    Sen. Cantwell has long championed Hanford clean-up and played a leading role in overseeing the DOE’s cleanup efforts, fighting numerous Administration proposals to cut Hanford budgets. 

    Throughout the first Trump administration, Sen. Cantwell repeatedly led the charge in opposing drastic cuts to the Hanford budget, and in 2020 she led a successful effort to defeat a provision in the annual National Defense Authorization Act that could have diverted billions in funding from ongoing clean-up projects.

    In January 2021, at the nomination hearing for former Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Sen. Cantwell secured a pledge to fully fund Hanford cleanup from the nominee. Secretary Granholm visited the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland and the Hanford site with Sen. Cantwell in August 2022 and they discussed the need for increased and sustained funding.

    Sen. Cantwell also questioned Audrey Robertson, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of Energy for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, about cuts to that department that could affect battery technology research at Pacific Northwest National Labs (PNNL). The administration’s proposed budget for DOE would require PNNL to conduct significant layoffs.

    Video of today’s committee hearing is available HERE, and a transcript HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NOAA Nominee Claims Critical Services Like Weather Forecasting Won’t Suffer Under Trump’s Proposed 27% Budget Cut. Cantwell: “I Think We’re In A Disagreement.”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    07.09.25

    NOAA Nominee Claims Critical Services Like Weather Forecasting Won’t Suffer Under Trump’s Proposed 27% Budget Cut. Cantwell: “I Think We’re In A Disagreement.”

    Proposed NOAA head voiced support for Trump budget that would cut $2.2B from lifesaving agency, eliminate research arm

    WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, questioned Dr. Neil Jacobs, President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), about his plans to preserve the agency’s crucial weather forecasting, research, fisheries management, and other core functions in the face of an administration that continues to hack away at NOAA’s budget, workforce, and programs.

    President Trump’s proposed budget would cut $2.2 billion from the agency and eliminate NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), which is NOAA’s R&D arm that performs and coordinates weather, climate, and other core research. That research directly impacts NOAA’s ability to predict and respond to extreme weather events, enabling the agency to develop better forecasting technology and issue earlier warnings for natural disasters.

    NOAA is responsible for studying and monitoring the ocean and atmosphere, weather forecasting including the National Weather Service, coastal habitat restoration, conservation of marine protected species such as salmon and orcas, and managing our nation’s fisheries.

    “NOAA does play an incredibly important role in preserving life and property,” Sen. Cantwell said in her opening remarks. “I’m going to ask today about the cuts to NOAA — and how, as a science agency, you preserve the core mission of an agency when we’re cutting so much of the science and the science budget.”

    “The budget eliminates the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research R&D arm, which is critical to improving lead times and accuracy of information. NOAA’s R&D is at the cutting edge of science and projects like Warn-on-Forecast, which will give communities more notice about tornadoes and other severe weather events by using prediction models instead of waiting to detect weather,” Sen. Cantwell continued.

    “While the Administration seeks to slash NOAA’s budget, it has also taken a sledgehammer to its workforce. Since the start of the year, NOAA’s workforce has been gutted by 2,000 employees. The agency currently has over 3,000 vacant positions, most of which cannot be filled due to the hiring freeze.  For example, Pendleton, Oregon, the forecast office serving Central Washington, no longer has 24/7 local coverage because of their 44% vacancy rate. And in my opinion, that is unacceptable in the height of fire season.”

    During a later Q&A portion, Sen. Cantwell pressed Dr. Jacobs on how, exactly, he plans to preserve and advance the lifesaving core functions of NOAA – including critical research that keeps the United States at the forefront of weather forecasting technology – with no R&D arm, thousands of positions unfilled in the hiring freeze or axed altogether, and a multi-billion dollar budget cut.

    “You said you supported the 27% budget cut to NOAA. Is that correct? So how do you keep your science mission, and particularly in atmospheric and oceanic areas? How do you keep that science mission if we’re cutting that budget?”  Sen. Cantwell asked.

    “It’s a lot of these priorities, particularly, you know, weather forecasting and things we’ve been discussing all day, some of that’s being transferred to the weather service. It’s my hope for certain things that that we’re looking at to basically fulfill the mission requirements of the forecasting capabilities that the weather service takes over a lot of that, some other aspects transfer to the ocean service,” Dr. Jacobs responded.

    Sen. Cantwell: “Okay, so you think that the missions are going to be preserved, just preserved somewhere else.”

    Dr. Jacobs: “I mean, yes, that’s, it’s my objective to make sure that NOAA fulfills their mission requirements.”

    Under the Trump Administration’s proposal, most of the programs run by the OAR will not be transferred to the National Weather Service; a list of programs on the chopping block is HERE.

    “I think we’re in a disagreement on this. I think we like this office. I don’t think we want to be zeroed out. We think it’s the key to NOAA doing its job overall,” Sen. Cantwell said. “And I get [that] you’re nominees by this administration, so you’re going to generally agree with their budget. We disagree with it. But I think more importantly, let’s look at these programs that are going to be cut […] I have serious concerns about our ability to do the job.”

    Video of Sen. Cantwell’s opening remarks is HERE; video of her first round of questioning is HERE; and video of her second round of questioning is HERE. A transcript is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida Democrats Release Statement on Invitation to Tour Everglades Detention Center

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

    “As Members of Congress, we were planning an unannounced oversight visit of this Everglades detention facility. Today, we received notice from the state announcing its own planned ‘tour’ at the same time, on the same day. We do not need permission to conduct lawful oversight.

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Darren Soto (FL-9), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) released a joint statement after receiving an invitation from the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) to tour the detention center in the Everglades:

    “As Members of Congress, we were planning an unannounced oversight visit of this Everglades detention facility. Today, we received notice from the state announcing its own planned ‘tour’ at the same time, on the same day. We do not need permission to conduct lawful oversight.

    “This sanitized tour is not real oversight. We expect ICE and FDEM will try to paper over the inhumane treatment of detained people with a limited, scrubbed visit and rehearsed answers.

    “Given reports of horrific living conditions, rampant denial of due process, the risk of death and destruction from a hurricane, plus irreversible damage to the Everglades and tribal lands, we will attend this scripted ‘tour’ to see the conditions and speak to detainees and guards. We will also return, unannounced, to conduct real oversight as the law allows and the American people demand.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –