NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI USA: DESJARLAIS CELEBRATES HOUSE PASSAGE OF ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Scott DesJarlais (4th District of Tennessee)

    (WASHINGTON, D.C.) –Congressman Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) released the following statement praising passage of H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act.  

    “What a tremendous day for our great Nation! House Republicans passed H.R. 1, One Big Beautiful Bill Act!

     

    This legislation: Gives the largest PERMANENT tax cut in history to the middle class, unleashes American energy production, secures our southern border and strengthens our military. 

     

    The good folks of Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District have given me one mandate: advance President Trump’s agenda. This morning, I am proud to say I have done just that.”

     

    Last night, Rep. DesJarlais oversaw the rule debate on H.R. 1. 

    The bill now moves on to the Senate for final passage.

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Estes, House Passes One Big, Beautiful Bill

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

    This morning, Rep. Ron Estes and the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. As a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Estes was instrumental in crafting the tax provisions in the legislation that lower taxes for working families and support small businesses. Before the vote, Rep. Estes spoke in support of the bill during debate.

    “[The bill] ends benefits for illegal immigrants. Instead of giving Medicaid to able-bodied adults, it prioritizes the benefit for children, seniors and low-income Americans. It provides a tax credit for seniors, exceeding President Trump’s plan to end taxes on Social Security. It provides funding for more border security to keep our country safe,” said Rep. Estes. “And perhaps more importantly, it extends the pro-family, pro-growth policies from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that even the New York Times and Washington Post admitted gave tax cuts to middle class Americans.”

    Watch video of Rep. Estes’ remarks here.

    Full Remarks

    Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support our One Big, Beautiful Bill.

    First, let me outline what this bill doesn’t do. It doesn’t take away Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security from Americans who need it. And it doesn’t give lavish tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.

    Here’s what it does do. It ends benefits for illegal immigrants. Instead of giving Medicaid to able-bodied adults, it prioritizes the benefit for children, seniors and low-income Americans. It provides a tax credit for seniors, exceeding President Trump’s plan to end taxes on Social Security. It provides funding for more border security to keep our country safe.

    And perhaps more importantly, it extends the pro-family, pro-growth policies from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that even the New York Times and Washington Post admitted gave tax cuts to middle class Americans.

    And how do we know this will work? Because we saw TCJA boost wages, job growth and tax revenue, despite the CBO’s biased and inaccurate scoring in 2017.

    Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to vote in favor of One Big, Beautiful Bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Offers Disaster Relief to Maryland Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by March Drought

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Maryland who sustained economic losses caused by drought beginning Mar. 4.

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Carroll, Frederick, Howard and Montgomery, and Prince George in Maryland and District of Columbia, Adam and York in Pennsylvania as well as Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun in Virginia.  

    Under this declaration, the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries, and PNPs with financial losses directly related to this disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for aquaculture enterprises. Nurseries are eligible to apply for economic injury disaster loans for losses caused by drought conditions.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”  

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.62% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

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

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 6, 2026.

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    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Van Orden Votes to Pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (Wisconsin 3rd)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) released the following statement after voting to pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill:

    “This bill takes great strides in fulfilling the mandate that was given to President Trump by 77 million Americans. Without this bill, Wisconsinites would have seen a 25% tax hike. As the Democrats spent time fearmongering with lies that this bill will cut benefits, Republicans got the job done by delivering tax savings and benefit protections for the American people.”

    The One, Big, Beautiful Bill provides for the American people on a variety of fronts, including:

    • Restoring integrity in the SNAP program by holding states accountable for their error rates and ensuring benefits are directed to those who need it most
    • Preventing the largest tax increase in American history, eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, and providing tax relief for seniors, job creators, small businesses, and farmers
    • Increasing the dairy tier I cap, investing in agriculture research, bolstering trade promotion, and strengthening the farm safety net
    • Strengthens, secures, and sustains Medicaid for the most vulnerable

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: LaLota Brokers SALT Deal

    Source: US Representative Nick LaLota (NY-01)

    Delivers Full Relief to 92% of Constituents
    Quadruples Deduction Cap for Long Island Families

    Washington, D.C. — Rep. Nick LaLota (NY-01) announced a significant win for Long Island taxpayers following successful negotiations to quadruple the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. The change, included in the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill, now heads to the Senate and awaits the President’s signature. If enacted, the measure would provide long-overdue relief—saving many Suffolk County families as much as $8,000 on their 2026 federal tax returns.

    The deal raises the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for households earning under $500,000, with both thresholds indexed to grow by about 1% annually—reaching roughly $44,000 and $552,000 by year ten. A household earning $333,000 and paying $20,000 in property taxes would now be fully covered under the new cap. The provision is valued at $344 billion over ten years.

    LaLota secured the breakthrough after resisting heavy internal party pressure and rejecting a weaker proposal that would have capped deductions at $30,000 for households earning under $400,000—with no indexing and a reset to $10,000 after a decade. That rejected proposal, worth $225 billion, might have covered a household earning $250,000 with $15,000 in property taxes—but it would have fallen far short for many Long Islanders.

    “This was a years-long battle, and I’m proud my colleagues finally came around to a plan that fixes the unfair $10,000 cap from 2017,” said LaLota. “Raising it to $40,000 means 92% of the families I represent will finally be made whole. For too long, Suffolk County’s middle class has been punished by double taxation. That ends now.”

    According to the Tax Foundation, median property taxes in Nassau and Suffolk Counties far exceed $10,000, meaning most homeowners have long been penalized under the current $10,000 cap. Only 16.3% of NY-01 taxpayers currently claim a SALT deduction—evidence of just how narrow and inequitable the benefit has been.

    “Securing this deal took months of pressure, standing firm, and refusing to settle,” LaLota added. “I meant what I said: No SALT, no deal—for real. That wasn’t a slogan—it was a promise to Suffolk County families. And today, we delivered.”

    LaLota also highlighted his consistent opposition to tax packages that failed to fix the SALT deduction.

    “In 2021 and 2022, Democrats controlled Washington and broke their promise to fix SALT. In 2024, when the Smith/Wyden tax plan ignored it again, I voted no. And when a $30,000 cap was floated, I pushed back. That wasn’t a compromise—it was an insult.”

    LaLota credited Speaker Mike Johnson and Chairwoman Elise Stefanik for working with him to deliver meaningful reform.

    “This is a major win for Long Island—but we’re not done yet. I’ll keep fighting until this provision is signed into law and middle-class families get the relief they deserve. I didn’t come to Washington to play politics—I came to fight for Suffolk County. And I’m just getting started.”

    Background:

    Timeline of LaLota Actions

    January 25, 2023 – First SALT Caucus Meeting

    February 8, 2023 – First SALT press conference

    April 10, 2023 – LaLota cosponsors SALT Deductibility Act

    April 14, 2023 – SALT press conference in Franklin Square, NY

    May 10, 2023 – LaLota introduces SALT Fairness and Deficit Reduction Act

    May 10, 2023 – LaLota cosponsors SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act

    May 17, 2023 – Meeting w/ RSC Chairman Kevin Hern re SALT

    May 18, 2023 – Meeting w/ Rep. Mario Diaz Balart re SALT

    May 24, 2023 – Meeting w/ Rep. Gottheimer re SALT

    May 24, 2023 – First meeting w/ House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith

    May 30, 2023 – LaLota introduces amendment to Fiscal Responsibility Act to address unfair SALT deduction cap

    June 6, 2023 – Meeting w/ Senator Gillibrand re SALT

    June 14, 2023 – Meeting w/ Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Chairman Smith re SALT

    June 22, 2023 – Meeting w/ SALT Caucus

    July 12, 2023 – Meeting w/ Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer re SALT

    July 27, 2023 – Meeting w/ House Budget Committee re SALT

    January 31, 2024 – LaLota introduces SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act alongside Rep. Mike Lawler

    January 31, 2024 – LaLota votes against Wyden-Smith tax bill due to lack of SALT fix

    January 31, 2024 – LaLota forces vote on SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act

    February 14, 2024 – House Democrats block vote on SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act

    April 10, 2024 – LaLota highlights unfair SALT deduction cap at Small Business Committee hearing

    May 14, 2024 – LaLota House floor speech on House Democrats blocking SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act

    June 7, 2024 – Meeting w/ SALT Caucus

    August 12, 2024 – Publishes Op-Ed entitled, “Relief for New York: Increasing the SALT Deduction to Protect Our Communities”

    September 24, 2024 – Meeting w/ Ways and Means Committee Working Families Tax Team re SALT

    December 12, 2024 – LaLota rejects idea of raising SALT deduction cap to $20,000

    January 7, 2025 – Meeting w/ SALT Caucus

    January 8, 2025 – Meeting w/ Ways and Means Committee Working Families Tax Team re SALT

    January 11, 2025 – Meeting w/ President Trump at Mar-a-Lago re SALT

    January 14, 2025 – LaLota publishes Op-Ed entitled, “Fighting for Long Island’s Future”

    January 14, 2025 – Meeting w/ SALT Caucus

    January 23, 2025 – LaLota testifies in front of Ways and Means Committee re unfair SALT deduction cap

    January 24, 2025 – LaLota House floor speech on unfair SALT deduction cap

    January 30, 2025 – SALT press conference in Smithtown, NY

    February 26, 2025 – LaLota votes for House Budget Resolution & vows to get SALT fix done

    February 27, 2025 – LaLota meets w/ President Trump in Oval Office and talks SALT fix

    March 1, 2025 – LaLota reiterates his promise to vote against reconciliation bill if it doesn’t include meaningful increase to SALT deduction cap

    March 3, 2025 – LaLota publishes Op-Ed entitled, “A Responsible Budget That Puts Long Island First”

    April 6, 2025 – Phone Call w/ Speaker Johnson re Budget Resolution and SALT

    April 7, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    April 29, 2025 – Meeting w/ White House Legislative Affairs re SALT

    April 30, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 6, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 8, 2025 – Joint Statement from SALTy Five re Ways and Means proposed SALT language

    May 8, 2025 – SALTy Five reject Ways and Means offer on proposed SALT fix

    May 12, 2025 – Conference Call w/ Speaker Johnson and Chairman Smith

    May 13, 2025 – Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 15, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 19, 2025 – Phone Call w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 19, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 20, 2025 – Small Group Meeting w/ Speaker Johnson re SALT

    May 20, 2025 – Joint Statement from SALTy Five re President Trump’s comments during House Republican Conference Meeting

    New York currently holds the unenviable position of having the highest effective tax burden in the nation, a direct consequence of the ballooning state budget under single-party Democratic rule since 2018. The current New York State budget, growing at a rate double that of inflation, surpasses Florida’s despite New York’s smaller population. The repercussions are stark: New York leads the country in residents relocating to more economically-prudent states like Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina.

    This fiscal mismanagement by New York Democrats has resulted in an excessive dependence on the federal State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. This deduction permits taxpayers to offset their federal taxable income with the amount paid in state and local taxes. However, the 2017 tax reform, spearheaded by President Trump, capped these deductions at $10,000, intensifying the tax burden for New Yorkers. This cap underscores the urgent need for fiscal reform in the state to alleviate the pressures on its taxpayers.

    In 2022, despite their initial pledge of “No SALT, no deal,” House Democrats did not follow through before the final vote on the Inflation Reduction Act. Throughout 2021 and 2022, Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress as well as the White House. Nevertheless, they did not address the $10,000 cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction, missing a crucial opportunity to fulfill their promises to alleviate the tax burdens on their constituents. This inaction occurred even as they held the legislative power to potentially make significant changes to the policy.

    Since being sworn into office in January 2023, LaLota has been explicitly clear on his support for restoring the SALT deduction. LaLota joined the bipartisan SALT Caucus and, in March 2023, introduced the SALT Fairness and Deficit Reduction Act to effectively bring the deduction to pre-2017 levels for the overwhelming majority of taxpayers while at the same time reducing the federal deficit by raising and extending the SALT deduction cap to $60,000 for single filers and $120,000 for joint filers beginning in 2023 and lasting until December 31, 2032.

    In January 2024, LaLota voted against the Wyden-Smith tax bill because it failed to include an increase on the cap to the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. In February 2024, LaLota introduced the SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act to the floor of the House. Unfortunately, 18 Republicans, together with every single House Democrat, blocked further consideration, debate, and a final vote on the measure. The SALT Marriage Penalty Elimination Act would remove the marriage penalty and raise the SALT deduction cap to $20,000 for joint filers and cap adjusted gross income at $500,000.

    In January 2025, LaLota met with President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago to address critical issues impacting Long Island, including the SALT cap, and continue the conversation on available options for a reconciliation tax package. During that meeting, President Trump renewed his campaign pledge to ‘fix’ the SALT cap and support LaLota’s constituents who suffer under the nation’s most burdensome state and local taxes, a direct result from ineffective and incompetent Democratic governance in New York.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Salinas Defends Oregon Families, Votes No on Final Passage of GOP Tax Scam

    Source: US Representative Andrea Salinas (OR-06)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (OR-06) issued the following statement after voting no on final passage of the Republican tax scam:

    “Time and time again, my Democratic colleagues and I have attempted to work with Republicans on legislation that would actually bring down costs and make life better for working families. They refused and instead put forth a disastrous tax bill that rips away health care and food assistance for millions, all to give massive tax breaks to billionaires.

    Democrats were undeterred. In committee, we introduced hundreds of amendments to change or remove some of the worst provisions in this bill, including commonsense fixes that would have prevented children from going hungry. Republicans either voted no or failed to bring our amendments up for consideration.

    At every turn, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have not only ignored our attempts at bipartisanship – they have actively avoided accountability and even convened a meeting in the dead of night to force through their shameful legislation. Republicans are hiding from the American people because they know these cuts are deeply unpopular. Yet they don’t care. Families will starve and people will die as a result of the Republican tax scam – but the rich will get even richer.

    Despite this devastating setback, I will continue to push back against Trump and the GOP’s complicit actions to trample the Constitution, abdicate our co-equal powers of government, and harm the seniors, veterans, children, and hardworking families I’m here to represent.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Young Kim Secures SALT Cap Increase, Tax Cuts in Historic Package 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Young Kim (CA-39)

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) voted in favor of H.R. 1, which takes historic steps to uplift working families and small businesses, get our country back on the right fiscal track, and streamline and strengthen our federal government to better serve the American people.  

    Rep. Kim, who serves as Republican co-chair of the State and Local Tax (SALT) Caucus, secured a 400% increase in the cap on SALT deductions, allowing hardworking California families to keep more money in their pockets and providing vital relief for  her constituents hurt by the current $10,000 SALT cap. 

    “Californians I represent have been bearing the brunt of persistent inflation due to wasteful spending from Washington and Sacramento. It’s past time for relief. Increasing the SALT cap 400% is a huge win that allows middle-class families I represent to keep more hard-earned money in their pockets,” said Rep. Young Kim. 

    “This bill takes important steps to ensure federal dollars are stretched as far as possible and strengthen Medicaid for our most vulnerable citizens. I will keep working to get our country back on the right track and protect the American dream for future generations,” she continued. 

    In addition to providing much-needed SALT relief, H.R. 1 supports the American people through initiatives such as: 

    • Protecting Medicaid for future generations of our most vulnerable citizens, including seniors, women, children, and disabled Americans;  
    • Extending middle-class tax cuts and the child tax credit originally enacted in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; and, 
    • Promoting financial literacy and opportunity by creating a pilot program where newborns receive $1,000 in a tax advantaged investment account. 

    According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, nearly 25,000 small and pass-through businesses across Rep. Kim’s district will see an increase of approximately $21,906,300 in their qualified business income deduction through the bill’s passage. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: JOINT DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF THE GOP TAX SCAM

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar released the following statement:

    Today, every single House Democrat voted to stop the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history. The GOP Tax Scam rips healthcare and food assistance away from millions of people in order to provide tax cuts to the wealthy, the well-off and the well-connected. 

    House Republicans promised to lower costs. Instead, Donald Trump’s One Big Ugly Bill will mean millions of families will pay higher premiums, copays and deductibles. Hospitals will close, nursing homes will shut down and communities will suffer. It will take food out of the mouths of children, seniors and veterans at a time when too many families are already struggling to live paycheck to paycheck.

    The GOP Tax Scam is deeply unpopular, which is why Republicans made every effort to advance it during the dead of night. For more than 28 hours, beginning with Rules Committee Ranking Member Jim McGovern, Democrats forced Republicans to debate this toxic legislation before the American people. This fight is just beginning, and House Democrats will continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the GOP Tax Scam is buried deep in the ground, never to rise again.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smith: House Passage of Reconciliation Bill Historic Win Years in the Making

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE)

    Washington, DC — Today Congressman Adrian Smith (R-NE) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed, with his support, a legislative package to advance President Trump’s priorities to enact tax relief, secure the border, promote energy abundance, and expand economic growth.

    “Passage of this legislation is a hard-fought win for the American people and years in the making. Through unprecedented coordination and collaboration across numerous committees, House Republicans have fulfilled our commitments to bring tax relief and certainty to American families, seniors, small businesses, and our hardworking agriculture producers. I am pleased the package includes measures I have led to drive major investment empowering parental choice in education and end the IRS’s unlawful, unfair, and expensive Direct File program. The bill prevents a more than $2 trillion tax increase on middle- and low-income Americans and opens the door to an historic era of American prosperity. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to swiftly pass it so President Trump can sign it into law.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Moore Votes “Yes” on One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Riley Moore (WV-02)

    Washington, D.C. – This morning, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Congressman Riley M. Moore voted “Yes” on the legislation, and earlier this morning spoke in favor of it on the House floor.

    Congressman Moore issued the following statement:

    “77 million Americans demanded generational change in November. Today, House Republicans delivered on that mandate from the American people.

    “Our One Big Beautiful Bill delivers major victories for the American people:

    “It unleashes American energy like never before, repeals billions in subsidies for the Green New Scam, expedites permitting, and kills the radical EV mandates.

    “It delivers the largest tax cut in American history by making the 2017 tax cuts permanent, eliminates tax on tips and overtime, and slashes taxes on Social Security payments.

    “It sends critical resources to immigration authorities for border security and large-scale deportation efforts, finishes construction of the border wall, invests in 21st-century defense systems like the Golden Dome, restores America’s maritime dominance, and upgrades the nation’s air traffic control system.

    “It invests in the American family by expanding the child tax credit, enhances the adoption tax credit, establishes federal savings accounts for new babies, defunds big abortion, and ends government funding for all sex-change surgeries.

    “This bill delivers for West Virginia and the American people. We strengthened Medicaid for those who need it, cut spending by over $1.5 trillion, and will soon see our economy enter a new Golden Age. I’m proud to have voted “Yes” today, and urge the Senate to quickly pass this legislation and send it to President Trump for signature.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Brian Babin Backs President Trump’s Bold ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ to Restore American Prosperity and Security

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Brian Babin (R-TX)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) cast his vote today in support of President Donald J. Trump’s “One, Big, Beautiful Bill,” a legislative package that secures critical wins for the American people and reasserts House Republican’s America First agenda.

    “President Trump promised to fight for working Americans, and this bill proves he’s delivering,” said Rep. Babin. “It takes the boot off the neck of our small businesses, puts more money in the pockets of our families, and restores sanity to our border and welfare programs. This is exactly the kind of leadership our country has been waiting for. For the past four years, American families have been squeezed by out-of-control inflation, reckless spending, and open border chaos. This bill is a major step in reversing the damage and returning power to the people. With Republicans back in charge, we’re restoring hope and rebuilding strength.”

    Key provisions of the bill include:

    • Preventing a looming tax hike by locking in the Trump tax cuts of 2017;
    • Cutting taxes on tips, overtime, and auto loan interest so that hardworking Americans keep more of their paycheck;
    • Providing meaningful tax breaks for retirees;
    • Redirecting taxpayer dollars away from Planned Parenthood and toward real health care options that value life;
    • Ending taxpayer-funded transgender procedures under Medicaid and rooting out fraud by creating work requirements and tightening eligibility—removing over 1.4 million illegal aliens from the program;
    • Canceling Biden’s radical EV mandate and repealing the Inflation Reduction Act’s special interest tax breaks;
    • Encouraging responsibility through stronger SNAP work requirements;
    • Delivering serious resources for the border, empowering DHS, Border Patrol, and Tom Homan’s team to get the job done and protect our nation.

    The House passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” marks a major milestone in the conservative comeback. Congressman Babin urges the Senate to act quickly and send this bill to President Trump’s desk.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Cuellar Votes NO on Partisan Budget Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28)

    Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28), voted against the partisan budget bill, expressing concern that the legislation would raise costs for working families and make deep cuts to essential programs – including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which includes school meals, and health coverage for millions of Americans.

    “I voted against this bill because I believe it would harm families in my district,” said Rep. Cuellar. “No fiscally responsible budget adds $3.8 trillion to the national debt. That’s just not sustainable. I’ve supported responsible tax cuts in the past to help working families and small businesses. But that’s not what this bill does. It shifts the burden onto families who are just trying to get ahead while giving the biggest breaks to those who need them the least.”

    Rep. Cuellar continued: “According to estimates, more than 43,000 people in my district could lose their health coverage – 34,000 through the Affordable Care Act and another 9,000 through Medicaid. Similarly, over 3.4 million Texans rely on SNAP to put food on the table. With 17% of Texas households already facing food insecurity, we can’t afford to cut back on school meals or nutrition assistance.

    “These aren’t just numbers – they represent families, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities who rely on these programs to get by. This is in addition to new tariffs driving up prices on groceries, clothing, home goods, and essential supplies families rely on every day.”

    Rep. Cuellar also raised concerns about the process used to draft and pass the legislation. “They held the final committee hearing at one o’clock in the morning,” he added. “The final version of the bill was over a thousand pages long, and members had just a few hours to review it – with amendments still being written late into the night. That kind of rushed process limits accountability and makes it harder to ensure the final product works for the folks we represent.”

    The bill is projected to raise taxes on low-income households, reduce Medicaid and SNAP funding by hundreds of billions of dollars, and remove key protections that help patients afford care. It would also limit states’ ability to respond to health emergencies and reduce provider funding that rural hospitals, nursing homes, and community clinics rely on to stay open.

    “This bill doesn’t reflect the values of Texas or the needs of working families,” Rep. Cuellar concluded. “People in South Texas aren’t asking for special treatment, just a fair shot. That means protecting health care, investing in kids, and making sure tax policy is responsible and balanced.”

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    El diputado Cuellar vota NO al proyecto de presupuesto partidista

    Washington, D.C. – Hoy, el congresista Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28), votó en contra del proyecto de presupuesto partidista, expresando su preocupación de que la legislación aumentaría los costos para las familias trabajadoras y haría profundos recortes a programas esenciales – incluyendo Medicaid, el Programa de Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria (SNAP), que incluye comidas escolares, y la cobertura de salud para millones de estadounidenses.

    “Voté en contra de este proyecto de ley porque creo que perjudicaría a las familias de mi distrito”, dijo el representante Cuellar. “Ningún presupuesto fiscalmente responsable añade 3,8 billones de dólares a la deuda nacional. Eso no es sostenible. He apoyado recortes de impuestos responsables en el pasado para ayudar a las familias trabajadoras y las pequeñas empresas. Pero eso no es lo que hace este proyecto de ley. Transfiere la carga a las familias que sólo intentan salir adelante, mientras que da las mayores exenciones a quienes menos las necesitan.”

    El diputado Cuéllar continuó “Según las estimaciones, más de 43.000 personas en mi distrito podrían perder su cobertura de salud – 34.000 a través de la Ley de Asistencia Asequible y otros 9.000 a través de Medicaid. Del mismo modo, más de 3,4 millones de tejanos dependen de SNAP para poner comida en la mesa. Con el 17% de los hogares de Texas ya se enfrentan a la inseguridad alimentaria, no podemos darnos el lujo de recortar en las comidas escolares o asistencia nutricional.”

    “No son sólo números: son familias, niños, ancianos y personas con discapacidad que dependen de estos programas para salir adelante. Esto se suma a los nuevos aranceles que hacen subir los precios de los comestibles, la ropa, los artículos para el hogar y los suministros esenciales de los que dependen las familias cada día.”

    El representante Cuellar también expresó su preocupación por el proceso utilizado para redactar y aprobar la legislación. “Celebraron la audiencia final del comité a la una de la madrugada”, añadió. “La versión final del proyecto de ley tenía más de mil páginas, y los miembros tuvieron sólo unas pocas horas para revisarlo, con enmiendas que se seguían escribiendo hasta altas horas de la noche. Ese tipo de proceso apresurado limita la responsabilidad y hace más difícil garantizar que el producto final funcione para la gente a la que representamos.”

    El proyecto de ley aumentaría los impuestos a las familias con rentas bajas, reduciría la financiación de Medicaid y SNAP en cientos de miles de millones de dólares y eliminaría protecciones clave que ayudan a los pacientes a costearse la atención sanitaria. También limitaría la capacidad de los estados para responder a emergencias sanitarias y reduciría la financiación de proveedores de la que dependen hospitales rurales, residencias de ancianos y clínicas comunitarias para permanecer abiertos.

    “Este proyecto de ley no refleja los valores de Texas ni las necesidades de las familias trabajadoras”, concluyó el diputado Cuéllar. “La gente del sur de Texas no está pidiendo un trato especial, sólo una oportunidad justa. Eso significa proteger la asistencia sanitaria, invertir en los niños, y asegurarse de que la política fiscal es responsable y equilibrada.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson Statement on House Passage of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    Speaker Johnson Statement on House Passage of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Reconciliation bill now heads to the Senate for consideration

    Washington, May 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released the following statement after the House passed The One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

    “The media and the Democrats have consistently dismissed any possibility of House Republicans succeeding in our mission to enact President Trump’s America First agenda. Once again, they have been proven wrong. Today, the House has passed generational, nation-shaping legislation that reduces spending, permanently lowers taxes for families and job creators, secures the border, unleashes American energy dominance, restores peace through strength, and makes government work more efficiently and effectively for all Americans. House Democrats voted against all of it — which clearly proves they want tax hikes on their constituents, open borders, and Medicaid for illegal immigrants. We look forward to the Senate’s timely consideration of this once-in-a-generation legislation and stand ready to continue our work together to deliver The One Big Beautiful Bill to the President’s desk.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Speaker Johnson: The President is waiting with his pen. And the American people are waiting for relief.

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04)

    WASHINGTON — Ahead of passage, Speaker Johnson delivered the closing argument for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on the House floor this morning, arguing for its swift passage and immediate consideration by the U.S. Senate.

    Click here to watch Speaker Johnson’s full remarks

    Below are Speaker Johnson’s remarks as delivered:

    After a long week and a long night and countless hours of work over the past year, a lot of prayer and a lot of teamwork, my friends, it quite literally is again Morning in America, isn’t it? And after four long years of President Biden’s failures, President Trump’s America First agenda is finally here, and we are advancing that today.

    What we’re going to do here this morning is truly historic, and it will make all the difference in the daily lives of hard-working Americans. The Dallas waitress pulling overtime, the Detroit mom counting bills late at night, the Kentucky coal miner waiting on his second chance. These are the forgotten men and women of our country that we are all called here to serve, and the One Big Beautiful Bill will deliver for those people.

    It revives our economy. It will deliver historic tax relief. It will make the largest investment in our border security in a generation. It will unleash affordable American energy again, restore common sense to government, secure generational savings and strengthen our national defense, while it also strengthens our essential programs like Medicaid for the people who need it the most. That’s what we’re doing with the One Big Beautiful Bill.

    To put it simply, this bill gets Americans back to winning again, and it’s been a long time coming. This One Big Beautiful Bill is the most consequential legislation that any party has ever passed, certainly under a majority this thin. Legislation of this magnitude is truly nation shaping and life changing. It’s the kind of transformational change that future generations will study one day.

    They’ll look back at this day as a turning point in American history, and it’s exactly what we were sent here to do. Let the record show that when the House Democrats vote in a few moments, this is what they’ll be voting for. Their vote will show that they are apparently for the largest tax increase in the history of our country. They will be voting for when they vote against this bill, waste, fraud, and abuse. They will be voting against safer communities, American energy dominance and American strength on the world stage.

    Today wouldn’t be possible without the leadership of arguably the most powerful and the most successful and the most respected president in the modern era of the United States. Our Democratic colleagues mock the objective truth. We were delivered unified government, my friends, in November, the White House, the Senate and the House were delivered to the party on this side of the aisle. So you can laugh all you want.

    None of this would be possible without the leadership of the 45th and the 47th president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, and it would not be possible without the really hard work of the men and women on this side of the aisle.

    I just want to name our chairman of their House committees that produced and did all the hard work to produce the big, beautiful bill. Scripture says we give honor where honor is due, Mr. Leader, and we’re going to do that here quickly: Chairman G.T. Thompson of the Agriculture Committee, Chairman Mike Rogers of the Armed Services Committee, Chairman Jodey Arrington of the Budget Committee, Chairman Tim Walberg, Education and Workforce Committee, Chairman Brett Guthrie, Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman French Hill, Financial Services Committee, Chairman Mark Green, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, Judiciary Committee, Chairman Bruce Westerman, House Natural Resources Committee, Chairman James Comer Oversight and Accountability Committee, Chairman Sam Graves, Transportation and Infrastructure, Chairman Jason Smith, Ways and Means Committee, and I want to make special mention of Chairwoman Virginia Foxx of the Rules Committee, who, by my count, sat in that chair and led that Rules Committee for almost seemed like two straight days. And I think she took two short breaks. She’s the “iron lady of the House,” and I’m so grateful for all their hard work.

    The beauty of what we produce with the One Big Beautiful Bill over here is that this was a team effort. This was men and women who were elected to come here, the duly elected representatives of the people back home. They rolled up their sleeves. They got down in the trenches. We began this effort over a year ago.

    It was actually March of last year, because we anticipated, and we believed, that we would be delivered unified government, that we would have a Republican leader in the White House, Donald J. Trump, that we would have the Senate and the house, and that we would have that moment of opportunity. And so, we planned, and we worked, and we locked arms together as a team, and we have delivered this against all odds.

    The media has tried to divide us. They’ve written our eulogy about 10 times, and you know what? Sometimes it’s good to be underestimated, isn’t it? But we got this done, and I’m so proud of the work of every member of this House Republican Conference who worked in their committees. Every single member had a say in this, every single constituent, the millions of people that are represented here, have their voices and their interests reflected, because we did this together as a team, and it’s quite an achievement.

    I just want to say that all that tireless work has led to the hard work of crafting this legislation, and we’ve been ready since day one to deliver on this agenda. Unified control of government is a rare mandate. It doesn’t happen very often. It’s happened just three times for our party in the last half century. We do not take it for granted, and we are delivering on that mandate here today.

    The American people gave us a mandate in November. They sent a message with their vote. They gave this side of the aisle the power, and we’re going to use it to make their lives better. What we’re achieving here today is nothing short of historic, and that’s true. House Republicans are getting it done again.

    In the Republican Party, see, we believe in a simple principle. We believe that America really is a shining city on a hill. Ronald Reagan used to talk about that, he was referencing Scripture. He understood that America is exceptional. He understood that, as it says right there above the Speaker’s rostrum, our national motto, that we trust in God, in God is our trust. These are the things that make our nation exceptional, and the people of our country, they deserve, they deserve better.

    We’ve been working hard to deliver so that the people of our country see this again as a shining city on a hill, and that people around the world see us for who we should be. One thing that we can all agree on, on both sides of the aisle, is that a strong America is good for everybody, all around the world. All of us together, regardless of party, were called here to stand together and defend those freedoms and to defend those foundations that made us the greatest nation in the history of the world. All of us have to look and recognize that the shine has not been on that city in a while. We’re here to restore it, and this piece of legislation, as large as it is and historic as it is, will do that very thing.

    Now look, we’re accomplishing a big thing here today, but we know this isn’t the end of the road just yet. We’ve been working closely with Leader Thune and our Senate colleagues, the Senate Republicans, to get this done and delivered to the President’s desk by our Independence Day, that’s July 4.

    Today proves that we can do that, and we will do that. And it doesn’t matter how much the media doubts this, or how much the Democrats, you know, give us their narratives. Doesn’t matter how long the speeches are. It doesn’t change the facts; we’re delivering, and we’re doing it in a big way.

    So, to our friends in the Senate, I would just say, the President is waiting with his pen. The American people are waiting for this relief. They are waiting for these life changing results, and we are going to finish this job. This is a historic moment that we will be talking to our children and our grandchildren about, and everyone will remember America’s back. I yield back.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes President Trump’s America First Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Allen (R-GA-12)

    Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. After voting in support of the bill, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) issued the following statement:

    “House Republicans have met the moment before us with passage of today’s historic legislation. Through months of hard work, valuable input from all Members of our conference, and a clear mandate from 77 million Americans—the House has delivered the people’s agenda,” said Congressman Allen. “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act codifies President Trump’s priorities by providing resources to secure the border, making a generational investment in America’s defense, bolstering domestic energy dominance, avoiding the largest tax hike in history, and protecting our most vulnerable communities. My colleagues in the Senate must move expeditiously in passing our bill and sending it to President Trump’s desk. The sooner this legislation is signed into law, the sooner our economy will experience record growth and American families, workers, and businesses will see the relief they have long deserved.”

    THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT:

    • Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent – protecting the average taxpayer from a 22% tax hike.
      • The average taxpayer in GA-12 would see a 24% tax hike if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
      • A family of 4 making $60,966, the median income in GA-12, would see a $1,160 tax increase if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
      • Over 6,000 family-owned farms in GA-12 would have their death tax exemption slashed in half next year if the Trump Tax Cuts expire.
    • Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, and provides additional tax relief for seniors. 
    • Provides funding for 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel.
    • Provides an effective border wall system, specifically:
      • Completion of 701 miles of primary wall.
      • Construction of 900 miles of river barriers.
      • 629 miles of secondary barriers.
      • Replacement of 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers.
    • Rescinds wasteful Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) spending which led to runaway inflation.
    • Streamlines processes for developing energy infrastructure which will unleash American energy, help secure affordable and reliable energy for Americans, and support exporting energy to aid our allies.
    • Ensures that Medicaid only pays for American citizens and legal immigrants by strengthening citizenship verifications to determine eligibility, saving tens of billions of dollars.
    • Increases personal accountability to help lift Americans out of poverty by establishing work requirements in Medicaid for able-bodied adults who do not have dependent children or elderly parents in their care.
    • Strengthens accountability for students and taxpayers, streamlines student
      loan options, and simplifies student loan repayment.

    BACKGROUND: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, otherwise known as the reconciliation bill, is a combination of individual bills advanced by 11 House committees as instructed by the Republican Budget Framework. Congressman Allen sits on two of the 11 committees, the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee, in which he played an integral role in crafting and advancing the language under each committee’s jurisdiction. Legislation brought to a vote under the reconciliation process in the United States Senate only requires a simple majority vote.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Republicans Pass President Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ – U.S. Representative Barry Loudermilk

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)

    Rep. Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) issued the following statement on the House of Representatives passage of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

    “Today, my Republican colleagues and I passed President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act — a historic win for the American people. An extensive amount of work went into this legislation, which will extend tax cuts for hard-working Americans, unleash American energy stifled by the Democrats’ Green New scam, and provide much-needed support for our brave Border Patrol agents. This bill also gives the administration the tools to investigate, expose and cut fraud, waste, and abuse within federal government agencies, while protecting the core services that many Americans rely upon.

    “This is an historic bill aimed at delivering on the mandate the American people gave us in November. Republicans have ensured that Americans can keep more of what they earn, and pay lower prices for food and gas, as a result of our pro-energy approach. Americans can also expect a return to a safer nation, as we equip Border Patrol and Homeland Security with the tools needed to expel foreign terrorists and criminals — and to keep them from returning. The Big, Beautiful Bill is the pro-family, pro-America policy needed to restore American excellence at home and abroad.”

    Background

    Border Security

    • Provides funding for 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.
    • Provides funding for detention capacity sufficient to maintain an average daily population of at least 100,000 aliens.
    • Provides funding for at least one million annual removals.
    • Introduces a new series of fees that provide funding and resources to various agencies.
    • Funds the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) criminal investigators
    • Codifies permanent fees for immigration services, to ensure cost recovery and reduce the federal deficit.

    • Provides $12 billion to reimburse states for actions taken to deter, mitigate, or prevent unlawful or illicit activities related to border security.

    Permanent Extension of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

    • Makes the 2017 Trump-era tax cuts permanent – protecting the average taxpayer from a 22 percent tax hike.
    • Saves the average American family $1,700 – the equivalent of 9 weeks of groceries.
    • Increases real annual take-home pay for a median-income household with two children by roughly $4,000 to $5,000.
    • Raises annual real wages by $2,100 to $3,300 per worker.
    • Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, or car loan interest, and provides additional tax relief for our seniors.

    • Repeals the requirement for firearm silencers and takes the manufacturer tax on silencers to $0
    • Locks in and boosts the doubled Child Tax Credit for more than 40 million families, and provides additional tax relief for American families.
    • Supports working families by expanding access to childcare and making the paid leave tax credit permanent.
    • Puts American families in control of their health care by expanding health savings accounts and cementing into law a Trump Administration policy that offers more choice and flexibility for health coverage options.
    • Starts building financial security for America’s children, at birth, with the creation of new savings accounts.

    Unleashes American Energy

    • Reinstates quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales, generating $12 billion in revenue.
    • Mandates at least thirty lease sales in the Gulf of America over the next fifteen years, and six in the Cook Inlet, generating billions of dollars in new revenue.
    • Returns to reasonable oil and natural gas royalty rates.
    • Requires geothermal lease sales, generating $23 million in new revenue.
    • Resumes leasing for energy production in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, generating over $1 billion in new revenue and savings.
    • Resumes coal leasing on federal lands.
    • Increases timber sales on federal lands and requires long-term timber contracts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carter statement on “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” passing the House

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Earl L Buddy Carter (GA-01)

    Headline: Carter statement on “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” passing the House

    Carter statement on “One, Big, Beautiful Bill” passing the House

    Washington, May 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (R-GA) released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act:


    “This is a once-in-a-generation bill that will unlock President Trump’s full domestic agenda, which Georgians voted for overwhelmingly back in November. With the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act we are unleashing our nation’s energy dominance, securing the border, putting more money back into hardworking Americans’ wallets, kicking illegal immigrants off Medicaid so that it is available for those who need it, and ending the waste, fraud, and abuse that risks sending our country into economic ruin. I could not be more proud of my House Republican colleagues for getting this fantastic bill passed, but the fight is not over.

    “Georgia’s Senators now have a choice: Will they stand with the people of Georgia by preventing the largest tax hike in American history, or will they bend the knee to Chuck Schumer by siding with the liberal elites?” said Rep. Carter.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casten Statement on Republican Bill to Gut Medicaid

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

    May 22, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement after voting against the House Republican bill to gut Medicaid and roll back Inflation Reduction Act tax credits in order to give a tax cut to Donald Trump and Elon Musk:

    “The House Republican bill stands to strip over 20,235 people in the 6th Congressional District of their health insurance. It would gut Medicaid – a program that benefits ALL Americans. And, it would cut hundreds of billions of dollars from food assistance programs like SNAP, making it more difficult for children, seniors, and veterans to eat.

    “Who does it benefit? The bill gives a tax cut to the wealthiest 1% of Americans. It boosts fossil fuel companies by making it harder for consumers to access cheaper, more reliable energy sources. It makes life easier for people like Donald Trump and Elon Musk at the expense of hard-working families.

    “This bill is among the most harmful and dangerous that the House has considered during my time in Congress. There is a reason House Republicans worked almost exclusively in the middle of the night to pass it – they don’t want the American people to know about it. I was proud to vote Hell no.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Slams Passage of GOP’s “Big Ugly Bill”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    May 22, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) released the following statement after voting against the so-called “Big Ugly Bill” being pushed by House Republicans and the Trump Administration:

    “I voted no because this bill is a disaster for working families. It would rip health care away from 14 million Americans—including over 25,000 in my district—by slashing Medicaid and imposing harsh work requirements. It would take food assistance away from up to 10 million Americans. It would drive up household energy bills, even as nearly 80 million Americans already struggle to pay for utilities.

    “And what’s all this pain for? To pay for giant tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be left with a $3.8 trillion increase in the national debt, triggering deep, automatic cuts to Medicare and other vital programs.

    “President Trump and Speaker Johnson are once again putting billionaire donors ahead of everyday Americans—at the direct expense of children, seniors, veterans, and working families.

    “This fight is far from over. The bill still has to pass the Senate, and it’s likely to come back to the House. I urge the Senate to reject this cruel, backward legislation and stand up for the people we’re here to serve.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Salvadoran National Currently Serving State Prison Sentence for Child Rape Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Salvadoran national living in Methuen, Mass. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.

    Agustin Landaverde-Romero, 57, was sentenced by U.S.  District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 21 months in prison to be served concurrently with Landaverde-Romero’s unrelated state prison sentence. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In February 2025, Landaverde-Romero pleaded guilty to unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Landaverde-Romero was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.

    On July 6, 1999, Landaverde-Romero entered the United States without inspection near Brownsville, Texas. He was identified by authorities in July 1999 and ordered to be removed to El Salvador on Sept. 23, 1999. On Oct. 7, 1999, he was removed from the United States.

    Sometime thereafter, Landaverde-Romero illegally reentered the United States. In July 2020, he was arrested and charged with rape of child and rape of child by force in Essex County Superior Court. He was subsequently convicted of the charges and, in May 2023, was sentenced to 20-25 years in state prison. On June 23, 2023, while serving his sentence, Landaverde-Romero was encountered by immigration authorities during a screening of inmates and determined to have unlawfully reentered the United States.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Money Couriers for Colombian-Based Drug Money Laundering Organization Sentenced

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – Two Jamaican nationals were sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for their involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered more than $6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems.

    St. Devon Anthony Cover, 61, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 42 months in prison. In January 2025 Cover was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy and seven counts of laundering of monetary instruments. Dennis Raymond Rowe, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 52 months in prison. In January 2025 Rowe was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering and two counts of laundering of monetary instruments. Both defendants are subject to deportation upon completion of their imposed sentences.

    The defendants were among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy.

    Over the course of the investigation, $1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity. Nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organization. This includes approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine seized at sea 60 miles south of Jamaica in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilograms of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia in March 2019.

    In or about October 2016, law enforcement began an investigation into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process. As part of the conspiracy, members of the organization held roles and responsibilities relative to the needs and opportunities of the scheme, such as drug suppliers, peso brokers, money couriers and business owners/dollar purchasers.

    Through the BMPE, Colombian drug trafficking organizations with drug proceeds generated in the United States use third parties – generally referred to as “peso brokers” that are also based in Colombia – who agree to exchange Colombian pesos they control for the drug supplier’s dollar proceeds. Peso brokers then use money couriers in the United States and elsewhere to physically secure the drug proceeds, often in suitcases or bags on the street, and transfer the proceeds into the United States banking system. To avoid detection, peso brokers deposit the drug proceeds into bank accounts in company or individual names intended to appear as legitimate business activity, or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts which are then consolidated into larger accounts. As a result, Colombian peso brokers control a pool of drug-derived proceeds in United States bank accounts. These dollar proceeds are then purchased by individuals or companies in Colombia seeking to exchange pesos for United States dollars at a favorable exchange rate and in a manner that avoids currency exchange and income reporting requirements. The dollar drug proceeds are transferred at the direction of the purchaser, and often end up in bank accounts of individuals or companies who appear to have no direct involvement in drug trafficking crimes.

    During the course of the conspiracy, Cover laundered approximately $268,000 and Rowe laundered over $600,000 by delivering bulk cash drug proceeds to undercover law enforcement.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Aura Liliana Trujillo Rojas, Delegate for Criminal Finance for the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; Ricardo Sánchez Silvestre, Brigadier General of the Colombian National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate; Jervis Moore, Chief of the Narcotics Division for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of Cover, Rowe, and other co-defendants from Colombia and Jamaica. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Thrive Ranked #10 in Boston Business Journal’s 2025 Fast 50

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, May 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and traditional managed service provider (MSP) services, announced today that it was ranked #10 in the Boston Business Journal’s 2025 Fast 50. This marks the fifth consecutive year Thrive has been named as one of the fastest-growing private companies in Massachusetts, and the second year in a row it has placed in the top 10.

    Thrive works with leading organizations to ensure their digital transformations are secure, cost-effective, and future-ready. By offering a variety of services and solutions that address today’s most critical cybersecurity and technology gaps, Thrive gives businesses customized services to meet their unique business needs and allows them to focus on what they do best. This approach has led to continued growth for Thrive. The company has completed 17 acquisitions in the last 5 years and now employs over 1,450 people across the U.S., UK, Canada, and APAC regions.

    “By offering world-class service coupled with NextGen solutions to solve some of the most prominent challenges organizations are facing, Thrive has found a winning formula that has allowed us to continue to grow, expand our national and international footprint, innovate, and hire the best talent,” said Bill McLaughlin, Thrive’s CEO. “Thrive’s remarkable growth is the direct result of the hard work of our employees in the Boston region and beyond. This team has propelled us to reach new heights – and we’re not done yet.”

    The BBJ Fast 50 ranks companies based on revenue growth from 2021 to 2024, recognizing businesses that have demonstrated strong leadership, innovation, and resilience in a dynamic economic landscape. The final list was revealed at an awards ceremony on May 13, celebrating the companies helping to drive Boston’s economic momentum.

    To learn more, visit Thrive’s website. If you’re interested in working for Thrive’s award-winning team, visit Thrive’s careers page.

    About Thrive  
    Thrive delivers global technology outsourcing for cybersecurity, Cloud, networking, and other complex IT requirements. Thrive’s NextGen platform enables customers to increase business efficiencies through standardization, scalability, and automation, delivering oversized technology returns on investment (ROI). They accomplish this with advisory services, vCISO, vCIO, consulting, project implementation, solution architects, and a best-in-class subscription-based technology platform. Thrive delivers exceptional high-touch service through its POD approach of subject matter experts and global 24x7x365 SOC, NOC, and centralized services teams. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.  

    Thrive Contact:  
    Hannah Johnston
    thrive@v2comms.com  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kamlager-Dove Statement on House Passage of Republicans’ Big Backstabbing Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager California (37th District)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) released the following statement after House passage of the Republican reconciliation bill:

    “House Republicans just sold out their constituents to the highest bidders: Donald Trump and his billionaire boys club. Debated and brought to the House Floor in the dead of night, they passed a monstrosity of a bill that strips millions of Americans of their healthcare, food assistance, housing, and more.

    “Never before has it been clearer that Donald Trump and the Republican Party have completely abandoned seniors and working families. Trump’s reckless tariffs have already inflated the prices of everyday essentials like groceries and clothing. Now, they are gutting the very safety net programs that keep Americans alive—all to fund tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk. Meanwhile, Moody’s just downgraded the U.S. credit outlook, which will drive up interest rates, loans, and household debt.

    “The American people are suffering, and Donald Trump is to blame–along with every spineless Republican who refuses to stand up for their constituents. I am urging my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle to put the needs of their constituents first and vote against this Big Backstabbing Bill. Millions of lives are at stake.”

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Malliotakis Celebrates House Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11)

    Legislation Builds on 2017 Tax Cuts, Delivers Border Security and Energy Independence for American Families

    (WASHINGTON, DC) – Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis released the following statement after the House passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill calling it “a big win for hardworking taxpayers.”

    “Today marks a historic victory for Staten Islanders, Brooklynites, and families across the nation who have been calling for tax relief. Our legislation builds on the success of President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts by making those tax provisions permanent, while delivering additional tax relief for senior citizens, increasing the SALT and Standard Deductions, and expanding the Child Tax Credit to ensure hardworking Americans keep more of their hard-earned money. 

    We also included key provisions to root out waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program so tax dollars go to protect our seniors, disabled, and the most vulnerable citizens who rely on it. We also strengthen our national security, fund border barriers and the deportation of criminals, and boost domestic energy production. The Senate must now act without delay as failure to do so would let key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expire, leading to a $4 trillion tax hike on American families and businesses. It’s time to deliver real results and tax relief and fulfill our commitments to America.”

     

    WATCH MALLIOTAKIS’ REMARKS HERE

     

    Highlights of the House Passed “One, Big, Beautiful Bill”

     

    Increases SALT & Standard Deductions:

    • Quadruples the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction to $40,000 and raises the Standard Deduction to $16,300 for individuals and $32,600 for married couples building on the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which originally doubled the standard deduction.

    Tax Relief for Seniors:

    • Includes a provision mirroring Malliotakis’ legislation to provide a bonus deduction for seniors on Social Security—$4,000 for individuals earning up to $75,000 and $8,000 for married couples earning up to $150,000.

     

    Tax Relief for Working & Middle Class Families: 

    • Fulfills President Trump’s commitment to eliminate taxes on tips and overtime, stops the return of the Alternative Minimum Tax that crushed middle-income families, makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent, and allows Americans to fully deduct auto loan interest on American-made vehicles.

    • The Big Beautiful Bill also makes adoption tax credits more accessible, expands 529 education savings accounts, supports scholarships and school choice, expands the Child Tax Credit to $2,500, and improves access to child care. Malliotakis’ legislation to extend tax-free employer reimbursement for students and college graduates is also included.

     

    Protecting & Strengthening Medicaid: 

    • Safeguards New York’s most vulnerable Medicaid population by preserving the 50% federal reimbursement match, prevents illegal immigrants from receiving Medicaid benefits, eliminates PBM’s abusive use of spread pricing in Medicaid, and cracks down on fraudsters by targeting waste, fraud, and abuse. 

    Keeps Our Borders Secure: 

    • Provides funding for the detention and deportation of criminal illegal immigrants, hiring of 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, enforcement of the Remain in Mexico policy and construction of new border barriers.

     

    Revolutionizes Our National Security: 

    • $12.5 billion to modernize our air traffic control system at Newark Airport and other facilities, funding for the Golden Dome to help protect our homeland, investments in American shipbuilding to strengthen our naval fleet, and upgrades to our military to meet 21st-century threats.

     

    Unleashes American Energy: 

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rutherford Statement on Passing the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Rutherford (4th District of Florida)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, U.S. Congressman John H. Rutherford (FL-05) released the following statement on the House passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill:

    The One Big Beautiful Bill will give Americans a much-needed tax break AND refocus our country on delivering for the American people. That’s why I voted YES.

    Contrary to what you are hearing about the One Big Beautiful Bill, it will NOT be a huge deficit bill. In fact, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was wrong about the original Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) score in 2017. They failed then to account for the tremendous economic growth caused by tax relief for hardworking, middle-class Americans. So, why should we believe them now?

    This bill will NOT cut Medicaid and SNAP benefits – it WILL strengthen these programs for future generations.

    The Big Beautiful Bill WILL:

    • Continue to boost our economy
    • Make President Trump’s tax cuts permanent
    • Focus resources on permanently closing the Southern Border
    • Incentivize Made-In-America cars and manufacturing
    • End taxes on tips and overtime pay
    • Slash taxes on Social Security, offering historic tax relief to seniors
    • Increase the Child Tax Credit
    • Secure more than a trillion dollars in mandatory savings
    • Cap SALT deductions
    • Update air traffic control system to ensure Americans fly safely and efficiently
    • Unleash American energy dominance
    • Cut Green New Deal policies
    • Revolutionize our national security and America’s maritime dominance

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pressley’s Statement on House Passage of Cruel Republican Reconciliation Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

    In Early Morning Floor Speech, Pressley Made Final Appeal to Republicans to Reject Bill That Would Make Millions Poorer, Sicker, Hungrier, and More Vulnerable

    Bill Would Rip Away Healthcare and Food Assistance from Millions, Harm Everyone in America to Fund More Tax Breaks for Billionaires Like Elon Musk and Donald Trump

    Floor Speech (YouTube)

    WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on the House’s passage of Republicans’ cruel reconciliation bill, which would gut Medicaid and SNAP, and rip healthcare and food assistance away from millions of people, including in Massachusetts. In an early morning speech on the House floor, Congresswoman Pressley made a direct, final appeal to her Republican colleagues to oppose this cruel and harmful bill.

    “Today, under the cover of night, House Republicans rammed through a cruel, callous, and morally bankrupt bill that would gut Medicaid, slash food assistance, and kick 14 million people off their healthcare—all to shower toy spaceship billionaires like Donald Trump and Elon Musk with hundreds of billions more in tax giveaways. This legislation would make communities in the Massachusetts 7th and across the country poorer, sicker, hungrier, and more vulnerable.

    “This bill would rip food out of the mouths of families already struggling to put meals on the table. It would decimate healthcare in America and worsen our maternal health crisis. It would gut mental health funding under SAMHSA and cut cancer research, putting lives at risk and turning its back on people struggling with addiction, mental health crises, cancer diagnoses, and much, much more. 

    “This bill is a shameful betrayal of our shared humanity. I urge the Senate to stand with the people and reject this heinous legislation. This is a somber day, but this fight is not over.”

    Across Massachusetts, over 955,000 Medicaid enrollees are at risk of losing healthcare coverage under MassHealth, the Commonwealth’s Medicaid program, due to the bill’s work reporting requirements for Medicaid. In the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, approximately 135,000 enrollees would lose coverage.

    Republicans’ extreme budget plan also threatens the approximately 1,216,000 people in the Commonwealth who depend on SNAP to put food on the table, including 187,000 people in the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District.

    Congresswoman Pressley has been an outspoken critic of this harmful legislation since its inception.

    • Rep. Pressley delivered a floor speech in which she slammed the bill’s proposed Medicaid cuts, which would decimate reproductive healthcare in America and worsen maternal health outcomes.
    • Rep. Pressley co-hosted a press conference with Color of Change to oppose the Republicans’ cruel and harmful budget reconciliation package, which would gut critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
    • Rep. Pressley rallied with caregivers, advocates, and fellow lawmakers at a 24-hour vigil to protect Medicaid from Republicans’ cruel budget cuts that would devastate communities across this country.
    • In the House Oversight Committee’s markup of the Republican reconciliation bill, Rep. Pressley demanded Republicans answer to the families who would go hungry by way of this reconciliation bill – and she was met with silence.
    • In the House Financial Services Committee’s markup of the Republican reconciliation bill, Rep. Pressley condemned the bill’s proposed cuts to Medicaid and shared the story of Mary Marinelli, a 70-year-old hospice nurse from a Republican district in Michigan whose family depends on Medicaid to care for their autistic son.
    • In an impassioned speech on the House floor, Rep. Pressley slammed Republicans’ cruel and callous budget resolution that would slash Medicaid and other critical government services to pay for trillions of dollars in tax giveaways for Donald Trump’s billionaire donors.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Power and Environmental Engineering Faculty Explore Wildfire and Power Grid Nexus in a Changing Climate

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    It’s a harsh irony.

    During a wildfire, firefighters depend on electricity to communicate, power emergency response, and keep hospitals running. But the electric grid is also one of the leading causes of the very fires they are working to contain.

    Junbo Zhao is the Castleman Term Professor in Engineering Innovation and director of the Department of Energy’s Northeast University Cybersecurity Center for Advanced and Resilient Energy Delivery (CyberCARED).

    “Power lines can ignite fires in several ways,” says Junbo Zhao, Castleman Term Professor in engineering innovation and director of the Department of Energy Northeast University Cybersecurity Center for Advanced and Resilient Energy Delivery (CyberCARED). “High winds can knock down poles or cause wires to clash and spark. Overgrown vegetation can brush against live wires. Aging infrastructure, such as decades-old transmission lines, can fail under stress.”

    These events, combined with drought, rising temperatures, fuel buildup, and a surge in ignition sources create a “perfect storm” for fire outbreaks, he says.

    In a recently published

    An article written by several College of Engineering faculty and students appears on the cover of the April 2025 Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering.

    “Strengthening the power grid resilience to storms and wildfires through advanced sensing and AI technology is critical to assuring reliable power during extreme weather and security events, which is more important than ever due to climate change,” says Emmanouil Anagnostou, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor and executive director of the Institute of Environment and Energy. “Research at the Eversource Energy Center advances leading-edge technology on fire ignition modeling and global monitoring of fire severity from space-based sensors, which can support preparedness and inform near-real-time emergency response.”

    Zhao and Anagnostou, along with Fangni Lei, assistant research professor of civil and environmental engineering; UConn research assistant Soroush Vahedi; Ph.D. candidate Kang He; and other authors from Sandia National Laboratory, the University of California Santa Barbara, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory emphasize the urgent need for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to strengthen power grid resilience against the rising threat of wildfires.

    In Nature Reviews, they suggest a three-phase resilience strategy that involves understanding wildfire risks, developing detailed planning and mitigation strategies, and ensuring effective implementation and ongoing evaluation.

    The initial phase involves identifying high-risk regions and vulnerable infrastructure, integrating climate change data into wildfire models to improve risk assessment and long-term infrastructure planning. Accurate projections of wildfire impacts on system components—such as power lines and transformers—are critical for designing targeted, climate-adaptive responses.

    In the second phase, the focus shifts to developing actionable strategies for prevention, real-time mitigation, and recovery. This includes hardening infrastructure through undergrounding lines, enhancing protection systems, and managing vegetation to reduce ignition risks. Real-time monitoring technologies, remote sensing, and improved situational awareness are central to effective mitigation, while operational enhancements—like optimized grid management and emergency response coordination—support overall system resilience. Planning also incorporates predictive analytics to guide de-energization decisions and firefighting efforts.

    A fallen power line caused a small brush fire recently in Haddam, Connecticut. (Olivia Drake/UConn photo)

    The final phase involves putting strategies into practice through detailed action plans, financial investment, and regular evaluations. Evaluating the effectiveness of resilience measures requires setting clear benchmarks and timelines.

    Looking ahead, the researchers stress the importance of integrating dynamic vegetation and advanced and granular weather models to forecast risk conditions and inform preventive actions.

    “Further investments in R&D and the development of real-time operational risk management systems will be essential to ensure grid stability, safety, and adaptability in an era of increasing wildfire threats,” Zhao says.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Three Students Earn National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Three students with ties to the University of Connecticut have recently earned National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP). The trio includes one current graduate student and two recent alumni, one of whom is currently enrolled in UConn’s Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates Program (RaMP).

    The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the NSF-GRFP was first awarded in 1952. The program recognizes and supports outstanding students in NSF-supported disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited institutions in the United States. In addition to a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, plus another $16,000 paid to the student’s home institution, fellows have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities over the course of their graduate careers.

    The Graduate Research Fellowships, always highly competitive, became even more so this year as the NSF drastically reduced the number of fellowships it awarded. Over the past decade, the NSF awarded approximately 2,100 fellowships per year out of an annual pool of nearly 14,000 applications – an acceptance rate of about 15%. In 2025, the NSF awarded just 1,000 fellowships.

    “Nearly three quarters of a century after its creation, the NSF-GRFP remains the gold standard of graduate fellowships supporting advanced study in STEM disciplines,” says Vin Moscardelli, director of UConn’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships. “Fellows are recognized not only for their academic and scholarly promise but for their demonstrated commitment to making an impact beyond their research endeavors. Earning an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship this year – when the total number of awards was reduced by more than half – is a testament to the remarkable promise shown by all three of these future scientists.”

    UConn’s 13 combined recipients in 2024 and 2025 lead all New England public universities. The school also had three undergraduate students, four graduate students, and nine recent alumni who earned Honorable Mention in this cycle.

    UConn’s most recent National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship awardees Savanna Brown and Hailey Baranowski along with their faculty mentor ecology and evolutionary biology professor Elizabeth Jockusch. (Contributed photo)

    The two students currently at UConn are:

    Hailey Baranowski ’24 (CAHNR, CLAS) was a member of the RaMP program and worked in the lab of ecology and evolutionary biology professor Elizabeth Jockusch. There they researched the developmental and morphological function of novel genes in red flour beetles.

    Baranowski will begin doctoral studies at the University of Illinois this fall and will continue research on bee health while pursuing a doctorate in entomology.

    “Bees are vital to food security and the beauty of our world,” says Baranowski. “This fellowship allows me to pursue the questions that need to be answered to help save them and us.

    “The support I received from my connections at UConn made this possible. As an undergraduate, I completed my first research project using a SURF grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research and worked with a wide variety of faculty and external collaborators who have continued to support me beyond graduation.”

    Savanna Brown is a second-year graduate student in ecology and evolutionary biology and is also mentored by Jockusch. Her research focuses on treehoppers and leafhoppers – a group of charismatic and morphologically captivating insects that thrive in nearly every corner of the world.

    “Being awarded the NSF-GRFP is an incredible honor, especially during a time when the value of science and our work at research institutions is doubted by many,” says Brown. “As a first-generation college student who has faced significant obstacles in my journey through academia, I feel profoundly grateful that this fellowship recognizes me not only for the value of my research, but more holistically as a human whose contributions to the scientific community go beyond intellectual merit alone.”

    Jockush, who is currently department head in ecology and evolutionary biology, described Baranowski and Brown as “a dynamic duo in the lab this year.”

    “Savanna is intellectually voracious. She is also a keen observer, self-starter and quick learner who embraces opportunities to be mentored and to serve as a mentor,” says Jockush. “I’m sure I have already learned as much from Savanna as she has from me. Savanna would probably say the same about Hailey, whom she mentors.

    “Little about Hailey’s UConn journey has been predictable. She’s been a beekeeper, a student farmer, and a host of a WHUS radio show ‘the Hive,’ which features fun facts about bees along with music. Hailey’s outsized enthusiasm for bees, along with their seemingly effortless ability to connect with people, makes them the glue of multiple communities, including this year’s post-baccalaureate research cohort.

    “In different ways, Savanna and Hailey have both earned this honor and the freedom it brings to pursue their curiosity.”

    In addition to Baranowski and Brown, Abigail Yu ’20 (CLAS), who earned her undergraduate degree in physiology and neurobiology, also received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. She is currently a graduate student at UCLA in the school’s interdepartmental doctorate program for neuroscience.

    The Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships (ONSF) is a resource for students interested in learning more about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and other prestigious scholarships and fellowships that support graduate study in all fields. ONSF is part of Enrichment Programs and is open to all graduate and undergraduate students at the University, including students at the regional campuses. For more information contact Vin Moscardelli, Director of UConn’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaping Students’ Education, One Clinical Instruction at a Time

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    On May 13, 2025, UConn School of Nursing clinical instructors came together to celebrate the conclusion of the 24-25 academic year and all their hard work.

    About 50 clinical instructors from both pre-licensure programs – traditional four-year Baccalaureate program (B.S.) and Accelerated Second-Degree Certificate Entry into Nursing/BS program (CEIN/B.S.) – attended the event.

    Karen Stevens, pre-licensure clinical placement assistant, with Jonathan XV at the clinical instructor appreciation event on May 13, 2025. (Coral Aponte / UConn Photo)

    Before the celebration, instructors took part in a mini retreat led by Prelicensure Program Director Jean Coffey, Ph.D., APRN, CPNP, FAAN, and Assistant Director Elizabeth Mayerson, DNP, FNP-BC, CNE.

    The retreat “provided an opportunity for collaboration and idea-sharing on how best to support students during clinical placements,” said Aime Liggett, pre-licensure clinical placement assistant.

    Tina Huey, associate director of faculty development at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, spoke on how to give verbal and written feedback to students. Other topics included post clinical conference ideas and clinical role-playing exercises.

    Following the mini retreat was the appreciation event. Everyone gathered on Storrs Hall Terrace for food, laughter, conversation, and a visit with Jonathan XV.

    “It was a meaningful way to express gratitude for our clinical instructors and recognize all of their hard work and the critical role they play in shaping our students’ education,” said Liggett.

    Preparing The Next Generation

    Clinical instruction is crucial in shaping a nurse’s education. For undergraduates, the last four semesters are dedicated to small-group clinical experiences in a variety of settings. This is where students take what they have learned and apply it in the real world.

    The Accelerated Second Degree, CEIN/B.S. program, is designed for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree and are interested in pursuing a career in nursing. For this program, students are required to complete a series of clinical learning experiences to successfully meet the learning outcomes of their program of study.

    The School of Nursing is affiliated with about 70 health care agencies. These include hospitals, schools, day care centers, housing for the elderly, extended care facilities, community health agencies, ambulatory centers, and clinics. In addition to spending time with patients in the clinical setting, time is devoted to conferences with instructors and peers to discuss patient care experiences.

    Between the two programs, the school had 123 clinical instructors for the 24-25 school year.

    Dawn Sarage, MSN, RN, CNL, CMSRN, CHSE. (Contributed Photo)

    Dawn Sarage, MSN, RN, CNL, CMSRN, CHSE, is one of those instructors, serving as both a simulation facilitator and the lead didactic instructor for an adult medical-surgical nursing course.

    Sarage understands the importance of her role and knows how vital it is to prepare the next generation of nurses.

    “I became a clinical instructor because I wanted to help students smoothly transition from school to practice,” she said. “My own transition into nursing was difficult. I often felt unprepared and unsure of myself, despite doing well in school. That experience drives me to create learning environments where students can build confidence, apply their knowledge, and feel supported as they grow.”

    Having a dual role in simulation and a classroom setting, allows her to connect with her students on a deeper level. In simulation, the smaller groups give her the opportunity to observe her students more closely providing them with constructive feedback and support tailored specifically to them.

    When recalling something she loves about being a clinical instructor she mentioned being able to see the “aha” moments when a student suddenly understands a concept.

    “Knowing that something I explained helped something click for them is one of the most gratifying parts of this role,” Sarage remarked.

    Having such a strong impact on student nurses’ learning experience, the appreciation event is meant to highlight and congratulate those, like Sarage, who are a part of that clinical instructor team.

    “It was an honor to be recognized, and I truly appreciated it. But more than that, I saw it as an opportunity to express gratitude for the many other clinical instructors I work with in my lead instructor role,” said Sarage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: At Cannes, decency and dress codes clash with fashion’s red carpet revolution

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén, Research Fellow at the School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California

    Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson appear on the red carpet prior to the screening of ‘Die, My Love’ at the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2025. Kristy Sparow/Getty Images

    Ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, the spotlight moved from movie stars and directors to the festival’s fashion rules.

    Cannes reminded guests to follow the standard black-tie dress code for evening events at the Grand Theatre Lumière – “long dresses and tuxedos” – while highlighting acceptable alternatives, such as cocktail dresses and pantsuits for women, and a black or navy suit with a tie for men.

    The real stir, however, came from two additions to the formal guidelines: a ban on nudity “for decency reasons” and a restriction on oversize garments.

    The new rules caught many stylists and stars by surprise, with some decrying the move as a regressive attempt to police clothing.

    It’s hard not to wonder whether this is part of some broader conservative cultural shift around the world.

    But I study the cultural and economic forces behind fashion and media, and I think a lot of the criticism of Cannes is unfounded. To me, the festival isn’t changing its identity. It’s reasserting it.

    Red carpet control

    Concerns about indecency on the red carpet have appeared before – most notably during the first televised Academy Awards in 1953.

    In 1952, the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters adopted a censorship code in response to concerns about television’s influence on young audiences. Among its rules for “decency and decorum” were guidelines against revealing clothing, suggestive movements or camera angles that emphasized body parts – all to avoid causing “embarrassment” to the viewers.

    Actress Inger Stevens at the 39th Academy Awards in 1967, a year before she was reprimanded for her skimpy attire.
    Bettmann/Getty Images

    To ensure that no actress would break the decency dress code, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hired acclaimed costume designer Edith Head as a fashion consultant for the show in 1953.

    In my book “Fashion on the Red Carpet,” I explain how Head equipped backstage staff with kits to deal with any sartorial emergencies that might arise. That same year, the balcony cameras at the Pantages Theatre accidentally peeked down into the actresses’ cleavage as they walked to the stage. From then on, a supply of tulle – a type of versatile fabric that can easily cover revealing openings that expose too much skin – was kept backstage.

    The 1960s posed new challenges. Youth fashion trends clashed with traditional dress codes and television censorship. In 1968, after actress Inger Stevens appeared on the red carpet wearing a mini skirt, the Academy sent a letter reminding attendees of the black-tie – preferably floor-length – dress code. When Barbra Streisand’s Scaasi outfit accidentally turned see-through under the lighting in 1969, Head again warned against “freaky, far-out, unusual fashion” ahead of the 1970 ceremony.

    However, in the 1970s, the Oscars eliminated Head’s fashion consultant position. Despite maintaining its black-tie dress code, the absence of a fashion consultant opened the door to some provocative attire, ranging from Cher’s see-through, sheer outfits, to Edy Williams’ provocative, barely-there getups.

    Once the fashion consultant position was eliminated for the Oscars, many attendees – like actress Edy Williams – tried to stand out from the crowd with provocative attire.
    Fotos International/Getty Images

    Old rules in a new era

    Racy red carpet appearances have since become a hallmark of awards shows, particularly in the digital age.

    Extravagance and shock are a way for celebrities and brands to stand out amid a glut of social media content, especially as brands increasingly pay a fortune to turn celebrities into walking billboards.

    And in an era when red carpet looks are carefully curated ahead of time through partnerships with fashion brands, many celebrities expressed frustration about being unable to sport the outfits they had planned to wear at Cannes.

    Stylist Rose Forde lamented the restrictions, saying, “You should be able to express yourself as an artist, with your style however you feel,” while actress Chloë Sevigny described the code as “an old-fashioned archaic rule.”

    But I still can’t see the Cannes rules as part of any sort of broader conservative backlash.

    Whether at the Oscars or the MTV Video Music Awards, backlash over celebrities baring too much skin has gone on for decades. Cannes hasn’t been spared from controversy, either: There was Michelle Morgan’s bikini in 1946, La Cicciolina’s topless look in 1988, Madonna’s Jean Paul Gaultier lingerie in 1991, Leila Depina’s barely-there pearl outfit in 2023 and Bella Hadid’s sheer pantyhose dress in 2024, to name just a few.

    Cape Verdean model Leila Depina arrives for the screening of the film ‘Asteroid City’ during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.
    Christophe Simon/AFP via Getty Images

    The festival has routinely reminded guests of its dress code, regardless of the cultural zeitgeist.

    The “decency” rule, for example, is actually required by French law. Article 222-32 of the French Criminal Code classifies showing private parts in public as a sexual offense, and can lead to a year in prison and a fine. While the legal definition hinges on intent and setting, the festival, as a public event, technically has to operate within that framework.

    Compared to white-tie events like the Nobel Prize award ceremony or a state banquet, Cannes’ black-tie requirement is relatively flexible. It allows for cocktail-length dresses and even accommodates pants and flat sandals for women.

    Meanwhile, the worry about voluminous clothes points to a practical issue: the movement of bodies in tight spaces.

    Unlike the Met Gala – where the fashion spectacle is the focus, and its red carpet is a stage for photo-ops – Cannes is a film festival. The red carpet is the main path thousands of people use to enter the theater.

    A dramatic gown – like the one worn at the Met Gala by Cardi B in 2024 – could block others and cause delays. While a photo-op may be the primary goal for celebrities and the brands they promote, the festival has a screening schedule to stick to, and attendees must be able to easily access the venue and their seats.

    Red carpet rules are fluid. Sometimes they adapt to cultural shifts. Sometimes they resist them. And sometimes, they’re there to make sure you can fit in your seat in the movie theater.

    Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén received funding from Fulbright (2023-2024)

    – ref. At Cannes, decency and dress codes clash with fashion’s red carpet revolution – https://theconversation.com/at-cannes-decency-and-dress-codes-clash-with-fashions-red-carpet-revolution-256948

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –