Category: Economy

MIL-OSI China: Over 11,000 suspects arrested in 2024 investigation of major cross-border gambling cases

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Chinese police arrested more than 11,000 suspects in the course of the investigation of 45 major cross-border gambling cases in 2024, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Thursday.
Public security authorities across China investigated and handled a total of 73,000 cases related to cross-border gambling and associated crimes last year, with over 4,500 online gambling platforms dismantled in the process, according to the ministry.
The ministry added that these efforts had further strengthened the “overwhelming crackdown” on cross-border gambling activities — as the police had eradicated multiple recruitment networks and underground financial channels operated by major overseas gambling syndicates within China.
In response to certain overseas cities luring Chinese tourists for gambling activities, relevant Chinese authorities introduced a tourism destination blacklist targeting cross-border gambling risks, imposing restrictions on listed destinations such as the suspension of outbound group tours.
Restrictive measures targeting the first batch of blacklisted destinations were implemented in August 2020.

MIL OSI China News –

February 7, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: Japan: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

Source: IMF – News in Russian

February 7, 2025

A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

Washington, DC – February 7, 2025^[1]:

After three decades of near-zero inflation, there are signs that Japan’s economy can sustainably converge to a new equilibrium. Inflation has surpassed the Bank of Japan’s 2-percent target for over two years and a tight labor market is delivering the strongest wage growth since the 1990s. But Japan continues to face challenges from its aging population and high public debt. Policy priorities are to re-anchor inflation expectations, rebuild fiscal buffers, and advance labor market reforms to support potential growth.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS, OUTLOOK, AND RISKS

The economy contracted in the first half of 2024 due to temporary supply disruptions but gained momentum in the rest of the year. Domestic demand, private consumption in particular, has strengthened, while net external demand has been sluggish. Both headline and core inflation (excluding fresh food and energy) remain above the BoJ’s 2-percent headline inflation target. Goods inflation has been boosted by energy and food prices, while services price growth is relatively weaker and below 2 percent. Inflation expectations are becoming increasingly aligned with the inflation target, though some measures remain below that target. The yen-dollar exchange rate has experienced sizable swings, largely driven by shifts in interest rate differentials (which reflect broader macroeconomic developments), but also amplified by the build-up and subsequent unwinding of yen carry-trade positions. The pass-through to inflation is estimated to have been relatively mild so far. Wages are growing at their highest rate since the 1990s amid labor shortages and strong inflation, but they have remained lackluster in real terms.

Growth is expected to accelerate in 2025, with private consumption strengthening further, as above-inflation wage growth will boost households’ disposable income. Private investment is also expected to remain strong, supported by high corporate profits and accommodative financial conditions. The output gap is estimated to be closed, and growth is expected to converge to its potential of 0.5 percent in the medium term. Headline and core inflation are expected to converge to the BoJ’s 2-percent headline inflation target in late 2025, helped by a moderation in commodity prices for oil and food. The current account surplus is expected to moderate in 2025 as the income balance narrows, with the trade balance remaining in deficit. The external position is assessed as broadly in line with the level implied by medium-term fundamentals and desirable policies.

Risks to growth are tilted to the downside. On the external side, these include a slowdown in the global economy, deepening geoeconomic fragmentation and increasing trade restrictions, and more volatile food and energy prices. On the domestic side, the main downside risk is weak consumption if real wages do not pick up. Another domestic risk to the outlook is a possible decline in confidence in fiscal sustainability that leads to a tightening of financial conditions in the context of high public debt and gross financing needs. If downside risks materialize, it could result in Japan reverting to an effective-lower-bound constrained environment given the still-low level of the policy rate.

Risks to inflation are broadly balanced. On the downside, inflation expectations may stall below the headline inflation target following Japan’s prolonged experience with low inflation. Upside risks stem from rising food and energy prices, and from stronger-than-expected wages in the upcoming spring wage negotiations. Higher barriers to trade and cost pressures in major trading partners could spill over to Japan but the impact on domestic prices would be ambiguous given lower economic activity.

ECONOMIC POLICIES

Fiscal Policy

The estimated fiscal deficit in 2024 is smaller than expected at the time of the 2024 Article IV. Tax revenues have been boosted by high corporate profits, and expenditures to support the economic recovery (such as transfers to households and SMEs) have been partly phased out. The fiscal deficit is projected to increase slightly in 2025, with additional spending planned for defense, children-related measures, and industrial policies (IP). There is a significant risk that the deficit will widen further, given the political demands on the minority government. This should be avoided as fiscal space remains limited: any expansionary measure should be offset by higher revenues or expenditure savings elsewhere in the budget.

Public debt, as a share of GDP, is expected to decline in the near term, as nominal GDP growth is projected to exceed the effective interest rate on public debt. Public debt will remain high, however, and is estimated to start rising by 2030, driven by a higher interest bill and expenditure pressures related to spending on health and long-term care for an aging population. A clear consolidation plan is needed even in the near term to fully offset these pressures, ensure debt sustainability, and increase fiscal space needed to respond to shocks (including from natural disasters). This will require elaborating concrete and credible expenditure and revenue measures in the context of a robust medium-term fiscal framework:

The composition of public spending should be more growth-friendly, including by eliminating poorly targeted subsidies, notably energy subsidies, while preserving expenditure on high-quality public investment. Enhancing the targeting and efficiency of social security spending is critical to containing rising costs while preserving quality.
On the revenue side, options include strengthening financial income taxation for high-income earners, lowering exemptions and broadening the taxable valuation base under the property tax, streamlining income tax deductions, and unifying and eventually increasing the consumption tax rate. The PIT reform to the income deduction limit that is currently under consideration would need to be financed by additional revenues or savings elsewhere in the budget.

The repeated use, and incomplete execution of supplementary budgets undermines efficient resource allocation, budget transparency, and fiscal discipline. The use of supplementary budgets should be limited to responding to large, unexpected shocks that overwhelm automatic stabilizers, which would also avoid providing unwarranted stimulus in normal times. All medium-term spending commitments—including on IP and green transformation—should be incorporated into the regular budget process.

As interest rates rise, the cost of servicing the large public debt is expected to double by 2030, putting a premium on a robust debt management strategy. In the face of rising gross financing needs and a shrinking BoJ balance sheet, government bond issuance will need to rely on additional demand from foreign investors and domestic institutions.

Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies

The current accommodative monetary policy stance is appropriate and will ensure inflation expectations rise sustainably to the 2-percent inflation target. Accommodation should continue to be withdrawn gradually if the baseline forecast bears out, under which we expect the policy rate would reach a neutral level by end-2027. High domestic and external uncertainty underscore the need for the BoJ to maintain its data-dependent and flexible approach and clear communications to anchor market expectations.

The BOJ’s ongoing reduction in the size of its balance sheet has been clearly communicated, is appropriately modest in pace, and is proceeding smoothly. The BoJ should stand ready to modify the pace of its purchases should disorderly bond market conditions arise or if financial conditions become inconsistent with the desired monetary policy stance.

Japan’s large stock of outstanding government debt and sizable net international investment position provide an important transmission channel for monetary policy to spill over into asset prices abroad. Clear communication and gradualism can limit adverse asset price reactions and outward spillovers.

The authorities’ continued commitment to a flexible exchange rate regime is welcome. Exchange rate flexibility should continue to help absorb external shocks and support monetary policy’s focus on price stability. At the same time, it will also help maintain an external position in line with fundamentals.

Financial Stability

Japan’s financial system remains broadly resilient, supported by strong capital and liquidity buffers. Banks’ revenues have generally increased as credit costs remain low, the rise in interest rates has been gradual, and the yen has depreciated. Major banks continue to manage interest rate risks proactively through portfolio rebalancing and diversifying their funding sources. Financial intermediation remains stable supported by continued demand for loans from both corporate and household sectors. The insurance sector is well-capitalized and profitable, despite challenges from market volatility and demographic shifts.

While the financial system remains generally resilient, systemic risk has risen slightly since the 2024 Article IV consultation, reflecting a combination of rising macroeconomic uncertainty, risk of faster than expected interest rates increases or unrealized losses, and rising bankruptcies among SMEs. Rising global macroeconomic uncertainty could impact Japanese banks’ investments. While gradually rising interest rates have helped bank profitability, faster-than-expected increases in interest rates or sudden changes in global financial conditions could amplify financial market volatility and interact with three persisting vulnerabilities identified in the 2024 FSAP: large securities held under mark-to-market accounting, significant foreign currency exposures—particularly through US dollar funding instruments—and signs of overheating in some areas of real estate. A faster-than-expected tightening of financial conditions could also disrupt the JGB market, amplifying interest rate risks for banks with larger exposures. Less-capitalized domestic banks are more vulnerable to rate hikes, facing heightened risks from unrealized losses and higher funding costs. Corporate defaults among smaller SMEs have been increasing, albeit from a low base, and could pose risks for regional banks with high SME loan exposure.

Strengthening systemic risk monitoring and the macroprudential policy framework is needed to better mitigate risks in the financial system. Ongoing efforts to expand data collection, enhance analytical capacity, and improve coordination between the FSA and BOJ are welcome. To further enhance systemic risk analysis, closing remaining data gaps and advancing analytical tools for a more comprehensive assessment of systemic vulnerabilities, including those related to foreign currency exposure, remain key priorities. Assigning a formal mandate to the Council for Cooperation on Financial Stability would reinforce the institutional framework, while expanding the macroprudential policy toolkit with targeted borrower-based measures would help mitigate vulnerabilities in the real estate sector.

Further strengthening financial sector oversight is essential to bolster stability and resilience against emerging risks and vulnerabilities. While progress has been made in expanding staffing resources in certain areas, additional allocations are needed to reinforce financial supervision. The authorities should continue to enhance risk-based supervision to respond flexibly to an evolving banking system. Strengthening the Early Warning System with more forward-looking indicators, especially for credit and liquidity risks, and establishing minimum liquidity requirements for domestic banks would enhance stability. Supervisors should also have the authority to adjust bank capital ratios above minimum requirements based on individual risk profiles and financial conditions.

The authorities should remain prepared to address market strains as they arise. The liquidity and functioning of the JGB market have improved since April but experienced temporary deterioration in early August amid a spike in market volatility. Rising foreign market volatility could impact domestic liquidity conditions, potentially triggering spillover effects. To mitigate these risks the central bank should closely monitor liquidity conditions and funding rates in money markets, while paying particular attention to the uneven distribution of liquidity among banks as well as the growth in repo transactions driven by demand from financial dealers and foreign investors. The scope of institutions eligible to receive emergency liquidity assistance could be expanded to nonbank financial institutions, prioritizing central counterparties. Recovery and Resolution Planning should be gradually expanded to all banks that could be systemic at failure, requiring more banks to maintain a minimum amount of loss-absorbing capacity tailored to their resolvability needs.

Structural Policies

Japan’s total factor productivity growth has been slowing for a decade and has fallen further behind the United States. A steady decline in allocative efficiency since the early 2000s has been a drag on productivity, and likely reflects an increase in market frictions. In addition, Japan’s ultra-low interest rates may have allowed low-productivity firms to survive longer than they otherwise would have, delaying necessary economic restructuring. Reforms aimed at improving labor mobility across firms would help improve Japan’s allocative efficiency and boost productivity.

Japan’s labor market is expected to witness a significant transformation driven by population aging and advances in artificial intelligence (AI). Japan is aging rapidly—a trend that is expected to continue over coming decades—and has been at the forefront in labor-saving automation to alleviate labor shortages. Policies can play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of aging on labor supply and facilitating mobility needed to benefit from AI adoption:

Thanks to government efforts, Japan’s seniors already have a relatively high labor force participation rate compared to other OECD countries. But policy frictions such as an income threshold that triggers a loss of pension benefits may be inducing seniors to work fewer hours than they otherwise would.
Japan has made significant progress in increasing female labor force participation during the last decade. Further supporting women’s ability to fully participate in the labor force will require continuing to expand childcare resources and facilitate fathers’ contribution to home/childcare, and further encouraging the use of flexible working arrangements.
Training programs are crucial to enhance the complementarity of AI with the labor force and improve the productivity of senior workers.
Improving mobility and reducing barriers to job switching are essential to address labor shortages due to aging and the potential job displacement impact of AI. Subsidized training programs that are targeted to in-demand occupations could help reskill and upskill the labor force and facilitate occupational mobility.

While AI may help to address some of Japan’s labor shortages, and since upskilling/reskilling the labor force takes time, attracting foreign workers could help alleviate labor shortages. Government programs have led to a tripling of the number of foreign workers in Japan during the past decade. However, foreigners continue to play a much smaller role in the Japanese labor force than they do in other OECD economies.

Similar to other G20 economies, Japan has increased its adoption of industrial policies. Japan’s industrial policies aim to advance several objectives, including economic security, resilience, inclusive growth, and green and digital transformation (the latter including support for the semiconductor industry). Under this umbrella, multi-year envelopes of 20 trillion and 10 trillion yen have been identified for green transformation and the semiconductor/AI industries, respectively. Given Japan’s limited fiscal space and the unclear growth impact of past IP, industrial policy schemes should be subjected to a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis. Going forward, IP should be narrowly targeted to specific objectives when externalities or market failures exist, to minimize distortions. It should avoid favoring domestic products over imports or creating incentives that lead to a fragmentation of the global system for trade and investment, in line with Japan’s commitment to multilateral economic cooperation.

Japan remains committed to green transformation, and further progress on policies would enable reaching its targets. Notable ongoing efforts—such as the issuance of climate transition bonds to finance government green investment, and the implementation of carbon credits trading—are in line with international practices and previous staff advice. Nevertheless, without further policy changes, Japan is likely to fall short of its targets. To help meet its green commitments while boosting growth, a combination of policies is needed. Options include the removal of energy subsidies, the expansion of carbon pricing, feebates and tradable performance standards. Carbon pricing would need to be accompanied by targeted cash transfers to protect the vulnerable from adverse distributional effects.

The IMF team would like to thank the authorities and other interlocutors in Japan for the frank and open discussions.

Table 1. Japan: Selected Economic Indicators, 2021-26

Nominal GDP: US$ 4,213 billion (2023)		GDP per capita: US$ 33,849 (2023)
Population: 124 million (2023)		Quota: SDR 30.8 billion (2023)

	2021	2022	2023		2024	2025		2026
				Est.	Proj.

	(In percent change)
Growth
Real GDP	2.7	0.9	1.5		-0.2		1.1	0.8
Domestic demand	1.7	1.5	0.4		0.2		1.2	0.8
Private consumption	0.7	2.1	0.8		-0.3		0.9	0.6
Gross Private Fixed Investment	1.3	1.6	1.5		0.6		1.1	0.8
Business investment	1.7	2.6	1.5		1.3		1.2	0.9
Residential investment	-0.3	-2.7	1.5		-2.4		0.8	0.4
Government consumption	3.4	1.4	-0.3		1.0		1.3	1.2
Public investment	-2.6	-8.3	1.5		-1.2		0.3	0.0
Stockbuilding	0.5	0.2	-0.3		0.1		0.1	0.0
Net exports	1.0	-0.5	1.0		-0.2		0.0	0.1
Exports of goods and services	11.9	5.5	3.0		0.7		2.9	2.0
Imports of goods and services	5.2	8.3	-1.5		2.0		2.9	1.8
Output Gap	-1.6	-0.9	0.2		0.1		0.2	0.0

	(In percent change, period average)
Inflation
Headline CPI	-0.2	2.5	3.2		2.8		2.4	2.0
GDP deflator	-0.2	0.4	4.1		3.0		2.3	2.1

	(In percent of GDP)
Government
Revenue	36.3	37.5	36.8		36.9		36.8	36.8
Expenditure	42.5	41.8	39.1		39.4		39.4	39.7
Overall Balance	-6.2	-4.3	-2.3		-2.5		-2.6	-2.9
Primary balance	-5.6	-3.9	-2.1		-2.1		-2.2	-2.2
Structural primary balance	-4.9	-3.8	-2.2		-2.1		-2.3	-2.2
Public debt, gross	253.7	248.3	240.0		237.0	232.7		230.0

	(In percent change, end-of-period)
Macro-financial
Base money	8.5	-5.6	6.4		-1.0		2.2	2.2
Broad money	2.9	2.3	2.2		1.1		2.1	2.1
Credit to the private sector	2.3	3.6	4.2		3.1		1.8	1.6
Non-financial corporate debt in percent of GDP	157.1	161.2	156.7		159.8		160.2	161.3

	(In percent)
Interest rate
Overnight call rate, uncollateralized (end-of-period)	0.0	0.0	0.0		…		…	…
10-year JGB yield (end-of-period)	0.1	0.4	0.6		…		…	…

	(In billions of USD)
Balance of payments
Current account balance	196.2	89.9	158.5		179.4		166.7	162.2
Percent of GDP	3.9	2.1	3.8		4.5		4.1	3.8
Trade balance	16.4	-115.8	-48.2		-31.5		-26.2	-24.1
Percent of GDP	0.3	-2.7	-1.1		-0.8		-0.6	-0.6
Exports of goods, f.o.b.	749.2	752.5	713.7		691.6		705.5	720.9
Imports of goods, f.o.b.	732.7	868.3	761.9		723.1		731.7	745.0
Energy imports	127.8	195.5	152.9		145.2		135.9	122.5

	(In percent of GDP)
FDI, net	3.5	3.0	4.1		4.8		4.2	4.1
Portfolio Investment	-3.9	-3.3	4.7		5.5		0.9	0.9

	(In billions of USD)
Change in reserves	62.8	-47.4	29.8		-74.7		11.5	11.5
Total reserves minus gold (in billions of US$)	1356.2	1178.3	1238.5		…		…	…

	(In units, period average)
Exchange rates
Yen/dollar rate	109.8	131.5	140.5		…		…	…
Yen/euro rate	129.9	138.6	152.0		…		…	…
Real effective exchange rate (ULC-based, 2010=100)	73.5	61.8	56.1		…		…	…
Real effective exchange rate (CPI-based, 2010=100)	70.7	61.0	58.1		…		…	…

	(In percent)
Demographic Indicators
Population Growth	-0.3	-0.3	-0.5		-0.5		-0.5	-0.5
Old-age dependency	48.7	48.8	48.9		49.2		49.7	50.1

Sources: Haver Analytics; OECD; Japanese authorities; and IMF staff estimates and projections.

[1] An IMF mission, led by Nada Choueiri and including Kohei Asao, Yan Carrière-Swallow, Andrea Deghi, Shujaat Khan, Gene Kindberg-Hanlon, Haruki Seitani, Danila Smirnov and Ara Stepanyan, conducted meetings in Japan during January 23-February 6, 2025. The mission met with senior officials at the Ministry of Finance, Bank of Japan, and other ministries and government agencies, along with representatives of labor unions, the business community, financial sector, and academics.

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER: Randa Elnagar

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/07/mcs-020725-japan-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2025-article-iv-mission

MIL OSI

MIL OSI Russia News –

February 7, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Schmitt introduce bill to add work requirements to Medicaid, reduce reliance on government
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) today introduced the Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act. The bill would require able-bodied adults without dependents who receive Medicaid benefits to work or volunteer for at least 20 hours per week. This change could save taxpayers more than $100 billion over 10 years.

“Medicaid doesn’t work the way it should. Able-bodied adults without dependents are better off with jobs than with hand-outs, and so are their communities and American taxpayers. My Jobs and Opportunities for Medicaid Act would help pave a path out of poverty for millions of Americans,” said Kennedy.

“By incorporating work requirements for able-bodied adults, Medicaid can serve as a bridge to self-sufficiency, fostering pathways to employment, job training, and community engagement. This not only helps recipients gain financial independence but also preserves resources for the most vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities,” said Schmitt.

“The goal of this bill is straightforward: if you’re a healthy adult on Medicaid, we want to make sure you have every opportunity to find employment that leads to better health coverage. Welfare programs shouldn’t incentivize people against working. This is about empowering Americans—helping them become independent, thrive in the workforce, and reach their highest potential,” said Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), who introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

Background:
- The CBO estimates that Medicaid work requirements would save $109 billion over 10 years.
- A 2023 Axios-Ipsos survey revealed that 63% of Americans, including 49% of Democrats, supported work requirements for Medicaid and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits.
- Kennedy also penned this op-ed in the National Review explaining the need for Medicaid work requirements.
The full bill text is available here.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Moran champion bill to protect veterans’ Second Amendment rights
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today led 14 colleagues in introducing the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. The bill would prevent veterans from losing their Second Amendment right to purchase or own firearms when they receive help managing their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits.

“Our veterans should not receive less due process rights than other Americans just because they served our country and asked the federal government for a helping hand. Under the VA’s interpretation of the law, however, unelected bureaucrats punish Louisiana and America’s veterans by forcing them to choose between their Second Amendment rights and getting the help they need as they manage their financial affairs. I’m proud to introduce the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act to stand up for veterans’ constitutional rights by ending this unfair practice,” said Kennedy.

“Veterans should never be forced to choose between receiving assistance from VA to manage their benefits and their fundamental Second Amendment rights. Our nation should be encouraging veterans to utilize VA services, not discouraging them by denying them due process. The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act makes certain that the rights of those who have served are protected, and that veterans are not penalized for receiving support that they have earned and deserve. I thank Sen. Kennedy for his partnership in this effort,” said Moran.

Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced the bill in the House of Representatives.

“It should go without saying that veterans should not be treated like second-class citizens simply because they need help managing their books—but under current law they are. Without a permanent fix in place, VA bureaucrats can continue to strip veterans with fiduciaries of their Second Amendment right with no court ruling in place that they are a danger to themselves or others. It’s as simple as that. I have heard from too many veterans that VA’s current NICS reporting measures prevent them from seeking mental health care at VA—we must change that. I want to thank Chairman Moran, Senator Kennedy, and my House colleagues for working with me last Congress to pass a temporary solution, but veterans need a permanent fix. House and Senate Republicans will fulfill the American people’s mandate to get this bill to President Trump’s desk to protect veterans’ due process and constitutional rights for good,” said Bost.

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Mike Rounds (S.D.), Kevin Cramer (N.D.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) cosponsored the legislation.

“I take the constitutional right to bear arms very seriously. Our bill would preserve due process for veterans and put a stop to unelected bureaucrats unjustifiably stripping away the Second Amendment rights of those who’ve served,” said Grassley.

“Veterans must not be required to forfeit the Second Amendment without a careful, constitutional process. Attempting to deprive former servicemembers of firearms for protection or recreation simply because they require assistance managing the benefits they have earned is bureaucracy at its worst. Our legislation would correct this injustice and preserve these law-abiding patriots’ rights,” said Boozman.

“The veterans who served our country shouldn’t lose their 2nd Amendment rights just because they need financial help,” said Cassidy.

“Veterans who have served our country deserve the same Second Amendment rights and protections as every other American. This commonsense legislation ensures that veterans aren’t punished simply because they need assistance managing their benefits and guarantees they are not denied their constitutional rights without due process,” said Tillis.

“Our veterans have sacrificed so much to defend this great country, and it is critical their God-given right to protect themselves and their families doesn’t rest on judgement of unelected bureaucrats. It takes a lot of courage and humility for our brave veterans to admit that they need help managing their financial benefits. But it shouldn’t place their constitutional freedoms in jeopardy. This bill ends the ability of government workers to take away the Second Amendment freedoms of our veterans when they ask for help with their money unless a judge finds them to be a danger to himself or others. I stand with our veterans and will continue to fight to preserve the freedoms they fought for on the battlefield,” said Tuberville.

“I’m proud to stand with our veterans to ensure equal protection of their rights with the Second Amendment Protection Act. Our veterans have fought to protect our nation and defend our rights, and they deserve to be treated fairly with the same due process under the law,” said Scott.

Because of the VA’s interpretation of current law, the VA sends a beneficiary’s name to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) whenever a fiduciary is appointed to help a beneficiary manage his or her VA benefit payments.

Ultimately, VA employees decide whether veterans receive help from a fiduciary.

The bill would prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting a veteran’s personal information to NICS unless a relevant judicial authority rules that the beneficiary is a danger to himself or others.

Vietnam Veterans of America, National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, Black Veterans Empowerment Council, Military Order of the Purple Heart, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, AMAC Action, Turning Point Action, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, National Disability Rights Network and the National Association for Gun Rights support the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act.

Background:
- In the 116th Congress, Kennedy introduced the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act.
- In the 118th Congress, Kennedy and Moran re-introduced the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act with six co-sponsors.
- In Oct. 2023, the Senate passed Kennedy and Moran’s amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act based on the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. The same language passed into law as part of an appropriations package in March 2024.
- The language included in the appropriations package only provided a temporary solution tied to appropriations. The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act would make the fix permanent and prevent future VA administrations from undoing the work to restore veterans’ due process and Second Amendment rights.
The bill text is available here.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Highlights His Plans to Hold China Accountable, Protect Louisiana Ricers, Shrimpers to Trump USTR Nominee

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

[embedded content]

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today outlined his plan to hold China accountable through his Foreign Pollution Fee and addressed the need to protect Louisiana ricers and shrimpers from foreign competitors during U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) nominee Jamieson Greer’s confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.
“You have been concerned—expressed skepticism—about the need for binding dispute mechanisms at the WTO, but my rice producers and others have won decisions at the WTO on commitments by other countries on agricultural subsidies, and yet they’re not enforced. And so, are my agricultural people just out in the cold? … Help my rice producer here. How are we going to handle that?” asked Dr. Cassidy.
“Senator, I think you’re exactly right, and that’s part of the reason why I show skepticism sometimes about the WTO,” replied Greer. “We have to have enforcement, and at the end of the day, what that means is USTR has to go to the country and enforce the law, and sometimes that means imposing tariffs on them.”
“About 40 percent of the imported shrimp to the United States come from India. Now the EU, Japan, and the U.S. finds illegal antibiotics in their shipments. And there’s also allegations that they use forced labor at every step of the supply chain… Would you commit to putting a— slapping a tariff on the shrimp if we can show that it’s being imported under those circumstances?” asked Dr. Cassidy.
“If we have an investigation and it shows their unfair trading practices, you can certainly impose a tariff or other measures if that trade practice isn’t remedied. I think it’s really important to work with you and the shrimpers because if they feel like they’re not getting the relief they need from trade remedies or other venues, then we need to explore whether it’s section 301, or other tools, to make sure that we’re detecting the unfairnesses and addressing it,” said Greer.
When discussing Cassidy’s Foreign Pollution Fee Act, Greer recognized the unlevel playfield that requires the use of tariffs to hold other countries accountable for unfair trade practices.
“[O]ne thing I am concerned about is that China is not using, not enforcing environmental regulations… [I]t lowers their cost of manufacturing by not enforcing those environmental regulations by 20 percent, and our industry moves there because they just lowered their manufacturing costs by 20 percent by dumping their air pollution on us. Now if this is classical economics, you would tax the externality, and I have proposed a fee on the carbon-intense product from countries which do not enforce internationally accepted norms on pollution control. Any thoughts upon that?” asked Dr. Cassidy.
“I think you’ve articulated the problem statement very well. I think there’s an unlevel playing field, and I think that other countries take advantage of total lack of environmental regulations,” said Greer.
Background
In December, Cassidy and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released a new discussion draft of their Foreign Pollution Fee Act to level the playing field with Chinese manufacturing and expand American production. In addition, the Steel Manufacturers Association, which represents 70 percent of the nation’s steel production, called on President-elect Trump and Congress to institute a foreign pollution fee.
The Foreign Pollution Fee Act was a key topic at Cassidy’s Louisiana Energy Security Summit last fall. The summit featured ten panels that explored protecting U.S. interests from unfair trade practices, Louisiana’s low-emission manufacturing advantage, and the role of natural gas in strengthening U.S. geopolitical influence. Panelists included the CEOs of Entergy, First Solar, Buzzi UnicemUSA, Orsted, and Aluminum Technologies, former Trump administration officials, and leaders from Louisiana trade associations and major energy and Fortune 500 companies.
In 2023, the Louisiana Senate and House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution urging Congress to pursue an industrial manufacturing and trade policy to counter competition from China.
On Louisiana shrimp and rice, Cassidy introduced two bills last Congress to protect both industries against China and India’s dumping of cheap agricultural products into U.S. markets. The Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act and the India Shrimp Tariff Act will protect the Louisiana agricultural industry while ensuring that food that appears on U.S. store shelves meets U.S. health standards.
Last year, Cassidy worked to secure $27,152,411.00 for Louisiana fisheries, shrimpers, and fishing communities affected by natural disasters between 2017 and 2022.
In April 2024, Cassidy advocated for Louisiana shrimpers and rice producers at a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing with USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai. He pressed her on progress USTR is making to prevent shrimp dumping from Asia. Cassidy also highlighted a whistleblower report on the safety of shrimp imported from India.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Britt, Warnock, Peters Reintroduce Retirement Fairness Legislation for Non-Profit Employees

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Katie Britt (R-AL), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Gary Peters (D-MI) reintroduced the Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Actto enhance investment options for 403(b) retirement plans. 403(b) plans are a type of retirement savings plan, similar to a 401(k), offered to employees of non-profit organizations like public universities, hospitals, churches, and charities.
“Non-profit employees should have the same access to investment strategies for their retirement plans as private sector employees,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Social Security is going insolvent. We need to give Americans every tool to help make their retirement more secure.”
“The Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Act would level the playing field so more hardworking Americans can access retirement resources that best fit their needs. Our legislation would allow Americans in the non-profit sector to access the same investment options available to those in the private sector,” said Senator Britt. “This commonsense bipartisan bill would help Americans who work for non-profits, including many of our hospitals, achieve long-term financial stability.”
“America’s retirees deserve the peace of mind that comes with financial security when they transition into retirement. This is especially true for non-profit workers who dedicate their lives to serving their communities— they deserve access to the same retirement investment opportunities private sector employees have,” said Senator Warnock. “That’s why I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan legislation which provides equal opportunity for non-profit employees and helps ensure they can retire with dignity.”
“Hardworking public service and non-profit employees who support our health care and human services, arts and culture, civic engagement, and more deserve access to all available financial tools that can help them plan for retirement,” said Senator Peters. “This legislation would put those using a 403(b) plan on a level playing field with other retirement plan participants by allowing them to invest in collective investment trusts, giving them an equal opportunity to achieve their financial goals.”
The Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Actwould expand retirement savings opportunities for non-profit employees by allowing 403(b) plan participants to invest in collective investment trusts (CITs). A CIT is a tax-exempt investment vehicle that provides a diversified, pooled investment option—similar to a mutual fund. CITs offer greater flexibility in investment strategies for retirement plans and reliable, often higher, net returns for plan participants.
Under current law, unlike 401(k) holders, 403(b) plan sponsors are not able to use this stable investment option in their plan. This legislation would create parity between 403(b) and 401(k) retirement savings plans, benefitting over 15 million hardworking employees at hospitals, universities, charities, and other non-profit organizations.
The Retirement Fairness for Charities and Educational Institutions Actis supported by the American Bankers Association, American Benefits Council, American Heart Association, American Life Insurance Association, American Retirement Association, Aon, Church Alliance, Great Gray, Insured Retirement Institute, Investment Company Institute, March of Dimes, MetLife, Mercer, Mission Square, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, National Council of Nonprofits, Nationwide, Prudential, SPARK Institute, Stable Value Investment Association, United Way, and Vanguard.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese ring in Year of the Snake with travel, spending boom

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Passengers are seen at the waiting hall of Beijing South Railway Station in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
As China celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Snake, the festive atmosphere was reflected in a surge in travel and consumer spending. With tourism booming, restaurants bustling, and box offices setting new records, the festivities showcased China’s economic vitality.
The Spring Festival, China’s most important festival, sparked a nationwide travel surge as families reunited and celebrations took place across the country. Official data showed that more than 2.3 billion passenger trips were made nationwide during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which concluded on Tuesday.
Official projections estimated over 9 billion passenger trips during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush that officially began on Jan. 14.
The annual migration — once dominated by homebound travelers — now sees a growing number of people opting for holiday getaways, filling train stations, highways, and airports in celebration of the Year of the Snake.
Tourism soars on heritage charm
With China’s Spring Festival now on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, cultural exploration-centered tours have become increasingly popular.
Online searches for “intangible cultural heritage tourism” jumped 174 percent since the beginning of this year, while folk craft-related searches spiked 321 percent, according to Meituan Travel. On the popular video-sharing platform Douyin, demand for intangible cultural heritage tours led to a 462 percent year-on-year rise in group tour bookings for folk fairs.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China saw a record 501 million domestic tourist trips during the just-concluded holiday, up 5.9 percent year on year. Tourist spending reached a record high of over 677 billion yuan (94.43 billion U.S. dollars) during the period, a 7 percent increase from the previous year.
The cultural allure extended beyond domestic travelers, attracting visitors from around the globe. The latest data from the National Immigration Administration showed about 14.37 million cross-border trips were made during the holiday, up 6.3 percent from last year’s Spring Festival holiday. Of these, 958,000 trips were made by foreign nationals, marking a 22.9 percent increase.

Foreign tourists try to make tofu during a folk celebration of the Spring Festival in Wayaogang Village, Yongding District of Zhangjiajie City, central China’s Hunan Province, Jan. 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
According to Chinese online travel service giant Trip.com Group, inbound travel orders during the Spring Festival holiday rose 203 percent year on year, underscoring the growing international appeal of China’s cultural and natural landmarks.
Among the top destinations was Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province, renowned for its spectacular mountain scenery that inspired scenes in global blockbusters. Malaysian tourist Vincent Koh Swee Sam was among the many international visitors drawn to cultural heritage in Zhangjiajie. Immersing himself in local festivities, Sam joined villagers in writing Spring Festival couplets, pounding glutinous rice cakes, and making tofu.
Sam’s hands-on experience with Chinese calligraphy deepened his appreciation for the art. “I used to know China only through textbooks and maps,” he said. “But now that I have stepped into it myself, it feels so good.”
Dining boom feeds festive spirit
No Spring Festival is complete without a grand feast, and this year, more families chose to dine out for ease and variety, driving a surge in restaurant bookings.
In Shanghai’s bustling city center, all 91 tables at the renowned Cantonese restaurant Xinya were packed with diners on Chinese New Year’s Eve, according to executive chef Huang Renkang.

People have a reunion meal at a restaurant in Nanjing City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, Jan. 28, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
According to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC), the revenues of key restaurants tracked by the ministry climbed 5.1 percent year on year in the first four days of the holiday.
Online platforms saw a similar rise. Meituan reported a 305 percent year-on-year increase in online bookings for Chinese New Year’s Eve dinners, while high-end restaurants featuring Chinese culinary experiences saw significant growth.
Notably, orders for “intangible cultural heritage” meal packages searched on Meituan soared over 12 times year on year since the beginning of this year.
Box office hits record high
From Chinese mythology to homegrown animation, this year’s Spring Festival film lineup drew massive crowds and posted record-breaking sales.
China’s box office sales jumped to an all-time high of 9.51 billion yuan over the holiday period, while attendance also set a new record, with 187 million moviegoers packing theaters.

People watch a film at a cinema in Feidong County, Hefei City, east China’s Anhui Province, Feb. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Leading the charge was the animated feature “Ne Zha 2,” which grossed around 4.84 billion yuan.
“The moviegoers’ enthusiasm indicates vibrant consumption during the holiday as well as the consumers’ confidence in domestic productions,” said Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association.
Experts attributed the success to strong audience anticipation, beloved characters and stories, and high-quality storytelling.
“The strong performance of these films lays a solid foundation for the steady growth of China’s film market in 2025,” noted Chen Jin, a data analyst from box office tracker Beacon.
Policy boost sparks shopping spree
Festive cheer and consumer enthusiasm energized the market even before the holiday began. With the country’s trade-in program driving demand, shoppers eagerly seized the opportunity to upgrade cars, home appliances, and digital devices, ushering in a vibrant holiday shopping season.

People visit a flower market in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong Province, Jan. 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
The MOC reported receiving subsidy applications for 10.79 million electronic devices over a four-day period starting Jan. 20. This follows the inclusion of mobile phones, tablets, and smartwatches in the trade-in subsidy program, marking a significant expansion of the initiative launched in March last year.
Moreover, according to the ministry, automobile trade-ins reached 34,000 while home appliance trade-ins reached 1.04 million units as of Jan. 23.
Building on this momentum, online retail sales grew by 5.8 percent during the eight-day holiday, while sales of home appliances and communication equipment at key retailers jumped by over 10 percent.
“Spring Festival offers a glimpse into the year’s economic trends,” said Chen Lifen, a researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council.
In this holiday season, a blend of cultural experiences and new consumption scenarios has helped reinforce the economic recovery momentum, injecting confidence into the economy and setting a strong foundation for the year ahead, Chen noted.

MIL OSI China News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese police arrest over 11,000 suspects in 2024 investigation of major cross-border gambling cases

Source: China State Council Information Office 2

Chinese police arrested more than 11,000 suspects in the course of the investigation of 45 major cross-border gambling cases in 2024, the Ministry of Public Security announced on Thursday.
Public security authorities across China investigated and handled a total of 73,000 cases related to cross-border gambling and associated crimes last year, with over 4,500 online gambling platforms dismantled in the process, according to the ministry.
The ministry added that these efforts had further strengthened the “overwhelming crackdown” on cross-border gambling activities — as the police had eradicated multiple recruitment networks and underground financial channels operated by major overseas gambling syndicates within China.
In response to certain overseas cities luring Chinese tourists for gambling activities, relevant Chinese authorities introduced a tourism destination blacklist targeting cross-border gambling risks, imposing restrictions on listed destinations such as the suspension of outbound group tours.
Restrictive measures targeting the first batch of blacklisted destinations were implemented in August 2020.

MIL OSI China News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £35.709 million green light for major A647/A6120 Dawsons Corner Stanningley Bypass scheme
Source: City of Leeds

Today the Department for Transport has given the green light of £35.709 million funding to enable Leeds City Council to make improvements to the Dawsons Corner junction and complete joint replacement work on the Stanningley Bypass.

This forms part of a £42.679 million total package with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority of £6.970m and contribution from the council.

Changes to the junction will reduce congestion and delays helping to support economic growth across Leeds and Bradford. The reduction in congestion will also lead to a better environment in terms of improved air quality. Improvements are also planned to see better traffic flow, with bus journey times also reduced and improved safer crossing facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.

The scheme was granted planning permission in October 2022 and business case was submitted in March 2024 with preparatory ground investigation work underway and the safety critical repair works to Stanningley ByPass have been on-going since May 2021.

All the third party land required to build the scheme has been purchased. Subject to contractor approvals the main works are planned to start later this year take up to 15 months to complete.

The scheme will:-
- Provide pedestrian and cycling facilities at the Dawsons Corner junction linking in with the Leeds Bradford Cycle Superhighway
- Improved bus facilities with dedicated bus lanes on the A647 Bradford Road
- Widen the carriageway on the A6120 Ring Road to improve the junction and accommodate a shared pedestrian / cycle route
- Widen the A647 Stanningley Bypass to accommodate additional traffic lanes
- Replace joints on the A647 Stanningley Bypass to mitigate potential road traffic collisions thereby enabling the current 50mph speed limit to be kept; and
- Provide landscape mitigation for the enlarged site at Dawsons Corner.
Councillor Jonathan Pryor, Leeds City Council’s deputy leader and executive member for economy, transport and sustainable development, said: “I am delighted with the news that the Department for Transport £35.709 million funding has been granted. The need to improve Dawsons Corner junction has been a major priority for some time. It’s important not only to improve traffic flow and air quality, but also support essential links to future housing growth and developments and for people to be able to access jobs more easily with consistent travel times.

“Alongside the recent junction improvements to Fink Hill, Dyneley Arms, the Armley Gyratory and A6120 routes, together with the M621 National Highways works that remain vital for keeping our city moving and directing traffic away from the city centre.”

The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: “Road users in Leeds and Bradford have experienced slow speeds on the A647 for too long, discouraging people from using local buses on the road.

“We’re giving this vital scheme the green light, and providing £35m, which will improve local journeys in Yorkshire and boost the economy beyond.”

Cllr Peter Carlill, Deputy Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “It’s great to support this scheme and see it secure further funding to help improve transport so that people can get around more easily.

“This will help us create a greener, better-connected region through improved walking and cycling routes, cleaner air, safer roads, and reduced traffic congestion.”

Katie Day, Deputy Chief Executive at Transport for the North, said: “We welcome this investment which will deliver vital maintenance work, improving safety and reliability for people and businesses using Dawsons Corner and Stanningley bypass.

“As every journey involves a road at some point, our highways need to be safe, resilient and efficient to enable economic growth.”
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xi meets Thai PM in Beijing

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in Beijing on Thursday.

Xi said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Thailand diplomatic relations as well as the “Golden Jubilee of China-Thailand Friendship.” The two sides should build on past achievements and work together to advance the building of the China-Thailand community with a shared future to deliver more benefits to the two peoples, the region and the world at large.

In the face of profound changes unseen in a century, China and Thailand should consolidate strategic mutual trust, firmly support each other, and respond to uncertainties in the external environment with the stability and certainty of China-Thailand relations, Xi said.

China is ready to work with Thailand to align development strategies, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, implement well flagship projects such as the China-Thailand Railway, and promote the vision of interconnected development of China, Laos and Thailand to achieve more fruitful outcomes as soon as possible, he said.

Xi called for concerted efforts to deepen cooperation in emerging industries such as the digital economy and new energy vehicles, and build more stable and smooth industrial and supply chains.

Noting that China appreciates Thailand’s effective measures against online gambling and telecom fraud, Xi said that both sides should continue to strengthen law enforcement, security and judicial cooperation to safeguard the safety of people’s lives and property as well as the orderly exchanges and cooperation among regional countries.

Xi called on both sides to launch a variety of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and increase the mutual understanding and amity between the two peoples.

China supports Thailand’s role as co-chair of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and congratulates Thailand on becoming a BRICS partner country, Xi added.

China stands ready to work closely with Thailand to firmly defend the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, enhance unity and cooperation in the Global South, safeguard world peace and promote common development, he said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Paetongtarn said she is delighted to visit China at a time when the two countries are celebrating the “golden jubilee” of their friendship. Thailand and China have forged a special friendly and cooperative relationship over the past five decades.

Reaffirming Thailand’s adherence to the one-China policy, she said Thailand looks forward to working with China to boost high-level exchanges, enhance cooperation in the fields of connectivity, economy, trade and agriculture, and promote people-to-people exchanges to usher in the next five decades of shared peace and prosperity.

Thailand is willing to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with China and other neighboring countries, and take resolute and effective measures to crack down on cross-border crimes, including online gambling and telecom fraud, she said.

Calling China a responsible major country in international affairs that firmly safeguards the interests of developing nations, Paetongtarn said Thailand is willing to strengthen coordination and collaboration with China to address global challenges.

MIL OSI China News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Is DOGE a cybersecurity threat? A security expert explains the dangers of violating protocols and regulations that protect government computer systems

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Richard Forno, Teaching Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, and Assistant Director, UMBC Cybersecurity Institute, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

People protest DOGE’s access to sensitive personal data. AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), President Donald Trump’s special commission tasked with slashing federal spending, continues to disrupt Washington and the federal bureaucracy. According to published reports, its teams are dropping into federal agencies with a practically unlimited mandate to reform the federal government in accordance with recent executive orders.

As a 30-year cybersecurity veteran, I find the activities of DOGE thus far concerning. Its broad mandate across government, seemingly nonexistent oversight, and the apparent lack of operational competence of its employees have demonstrated that DOGE could create conditions that are ideal for cybersecurity or data privacy incidents that affect the entire nation.

Traditionally, the purpose of cybersecurity is to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of information and information systems while helping keep those systems available to those who need them. But in DOGE’s first few weeks of existence, reports indicate that its staff appears to be ignoring those principles and potentially making the federal government more vulnerable to cyber incidents.

Technical competence

Cybersecurity and information technology, like any other business function, depend on employees trained specifically for their jobs. Just as you wouldn’t let someone only qualified in first aid to perform open heart surgery, technology professionals require a baseline set of credentialed education, training and experience to ensure that the most qualified people are on the job.

Currently, the general public, federal agencies and Congress have little idea who is tinkering with the government’s critical systems. DOGE’s hiring process, including how it screens applicants for technical, operational or cybersecurity competency, as well as experience in government, is opaque. And journalists investigating the backgrounds of DOGE employees have been intimidated by the acting U.S. attorney in Washington.

DOGE has hired young people fresh out of – or still in – college or with little or no experience in government, but who reportedly have strong technical prowess. But some have questionable backgrounds for such sensitive work. And one leading DOGE staffer working at the Treasury Department has since resigned over a series of racist social media posts.

Wired’s Katie Drummond explains what the magazine’s reporters have uncovered about DOGE staffers and their activities.

According to reports, these DOGE staffers have been granted administrator-level technical access to a variety of federal systems. These include systems that process all federal payments, including Social Security, Medicare and the congressionally appropriated funds that run the government and its contracting operations.

DOGE operatives are quickly developing and deploying major software changes to very complex old systems and databases, according to reports. But given the speed of change, it’s likely that there is little formal planning or quality control involved to ensure such changes don’t break the system. Such actions run contrary to cybersecurity principles and best practices for technology management.

As a result, there’s probably no way of knowing if these changes make it easier for malware to be introduced into government systems, if sensitive data can be accessed without authorization, or if DOGE’s work is making government systems otherwise more unstable and more vulnerable.

If you don’t know what you’re doing in IT, really bad things can happen. A notable example is the failed launch of the healthcare.gov website in 2013. In the case of the Treasury Department’s systems, that’s fairly important to remember as the nation careens toward another debt-ceiling crisis and citizens look for their Social Security payments.

On Feb. 6, 2025, a federal judge ordered that DOGE staff be restricted to read-only access to the Treasury Department’s payment systems, but the legal proceedings challenging the legality of their access to government IT systems are ongoing.

DOGE email servers

DOGE’s apparent lack of cybersecurity competence is reflected in some of its first actions. DOGE installed its own email servers across the federal government to facilitate direct communication with rank-and-file employees outside official channels, disregarding time-tested best practices for cybersecurity and IT administration. A lawsuit by federal employees alleges that these systems did not undergo a security review as required by current federal cybersecurity standards.

There is an established process in the federal government to configure and deploy new systems to ensure they are stable, secure and unlikely to create cybersecurity problems. But DOGE ignored those practices, with predictable results.

For example, a journalist was able to send invitations to his newsletter to over 13,000 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees through one of these servers. In another case, the way in which employee responses to DOGE’s Fork in the Road buyout offer to federal employees are collected could easily be manipulated by someone with malicious intent – a simple social engineering attack could wrongly end a worker’s employment. And DOGE staff members reportedly are connecting their own untrusted devices to government networks, which potentially introduces new ways for cyberattackers to penetrate sensitive systems.

However, DOGE appears to be embracing creative cybersecurity practices in shielding itself. It’s reorganizing its internal communications in order to dodge Freedom of Information Act requests into its work, and it’s using cybersecurity techniques for tracking insider threats to prevent and investigate leaks of its activities.

Lacking management controls

But it’s not just technical security that DOGE is ignoring. On Feb. 2, two security officials for the U.S. Agency for International Development resisted granting a DOGE team access to sensitive financial and personnel systems until their identities and clearances were verified, in accordance with federal requirements. Instead, the officials were threatened with arrest and placed on administrative leave, and DOGE’s team gained access.

The Trump administration also has reclassified federal chief information officers, normally senior career employees with years of specialized knowledge, to be general employees subject to dismissal for political reasons. So there may well be a brain drain of IT talent in the federal government, or a constant turnover of both senior IT leadership and other technical experts. This change will almost certainly have ramifications for cybersecurity.

DOGE operatives now have direct access to the Office of Personnel Management’s database of millions of federal employees, including those with security clearances holding sensitive positions. Without oversight, this access opens up the possibilities of privacy violations, tampering with employment records, intimidation or political retribution.

Support from all levels of management is crucial to provide accountability for cybersecurity and technology management. This is especially important in the public sector, where oversight and accountability is a critical function of good democratic governance and national security. After all, if people don’t know what you’re doing, they don’t know what you’re doing wrong.

At the moment, DOGE appears to be operating with very little oversight by anyone in position willing or able to hold it responsible for its actions.

Mitigating the damage

Career federal employees trying to follow legal or cybersecurity practices for federal systems and data are now placed in a difficult position. They either capitulate to DOGE staffers’ instructions, thereby abandoning best practices and ignoring federal standards, or resist them and run the risk of being fired or disciplined.

The federal government’s vast collections of data touch every citizen and company. While government systems may not be as trustworthy as they once were, people can still take steps to protect themselves from adverse consequences of DOGE’s activities. Two good starting points are to lock your credit bureau records in case your government data is disclosed and using different logins and passwords on federal websites to conduct business.

It’s crucial for the administration, Congress and the public to recognize the cybersecurity dangers that DOGE’s activities pose and take meaningful steps to bring the organization under reasonable control and oversight.

Richard Forno has received research funding related to cybersecurity from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the US Army during his academic career since 2010.

– ref. Is DOGE a cybersecurity threat? A security expert explains the dangers of violating protocols and regulations that protect government computer systems – https://theconversation.com/is-doge-a-cybersecurity-threat-a-security-expert-explains-the-dangers-of-violating-protocols-and-regulations-that-protect-government-computer-systems-249111

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Murkowski Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Promote Geothermal Exploration and Development

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) reintroduced their bipartisan, bicameral legislation to promote geothermal energy. The STEAM Act would expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas. Representatives Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03) and Celeste Maloy (R-Utah-02) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Nevada’s clean energy economy is spurring innovation and lowering energy costs for residents across the Silver State,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “My commonsense, bipartisan legislation will cut red tape, create good-paying jobs, and let communities take advantage of Nevada’s untapped geothermal potential.”

“Unleashing the full potential of clean, reliable, baseload geothermal will help to bolster our energy independence and power our communities. The STEAM Act takes a step forward to remove unnecessary hurdles for geothermal exploration and cuts through the red tape slowing down deployment of geothermal technologies,” said Senator Murkowski. “I look forward to continuing to advocate for this legislation to help boost geothermal as a source of domestic energy.”

“Nevada has incredible energy potential and geothermal energy is a key piece of that,” said Rep. Lee. “Yet, red tape has prevented us from fully unleashing its potential. This bipartisan bill will cut red tape, help strengthen U.S. energy independence, and lower costs.”

“Utah’s second district has some of the most abundant geothermal resources in the world,” said Rep. Maloy. “Unfortunately, bureaucratic red tape and inefficiency makes developing geothermal resources risky. The STEAM Act will clear the way for Utah to produce more energy and create more jobs.”

“In 2005, the U.S. faced an energy crisis and rightly granted oil and gas a categorical exclusion to produce more energy to meet demand,” said Jeremy Harrell, CEO, ClearPath Action. “As the U.S. faces new challenges to meet rising demand, this bill helps achieve parity for 24/7, clean, reliable geothermal power. This legislation is important in unlocking American geothermal energy to support our economy and the environment.”

“The STEAM Act is an important step in advancing geothermal energy exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas,” said Jeanine Vany, Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Eavor. “By ensuring geothermal exploration can move forward as efficiently and responsibly as other energy resources, this bill paves the way for the expansion of a proven, clean, and reliable energy solution. We’re encouraged by continued bipartisan action that prioritizes domestic geothermal applications as a key part of our future energy portfolio.”

“The bipartisan STEAM Act would extend permitting parity across oil, gas, and geothermal for American generation projects,” said Ben Serrurier, Senior Manager of Government Affairs and Policy, Fervo Energy. “The permitting improvements from the STEAM Act have been tested and perfected for two decades now — and banks, operators, and agencies know how they work. This will help geothermal projects advance more quickly and at reasonable costs with financing and drilling. Fervo applauds Representatives Celeste Maloy and Susie Lee and Senators Lisa Murkowski and Catherine Cortez Masto for their hard work to advance this source of clean, firm energy to power America.”

Right now, there is an expedited review and permitting process for oil and gas development projects on land that has already gone through environmental studies. The Streamlining Thermal Energy through Advanced Mechanisms (STEAM) Act would cut red tape by allowing geothermal projects in previously developed or studied areas to also bypass cumbersome, repetitive environmental impact studies.

Senator Cortez Masto has consistently worked to support Nevada’s battery supply chain and clean energy industry, which has created nearly 42,000 good-paying clean energy jobs across Nevada. Through her Innovation State Initiative, Senator Cortez Masto has been a proponent of renewable and sustainable energy, passing bipartisan legislation to promote Nevada’s mining and emerging battery industries. She has also set up a sustainable critical mineral supply chain and led efforts in the Senate to create good-paying solar energy jobs. Cortez Masto recently announced that the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) has been designated as a Tech Hub for innovation and job creation.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Introduces Wiregrass Peanut Farmer at Senate Ag Hearing

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) introduced Garrett Moore from Chancellor, Alabama, at a U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (Ag) hearing. Today’s hearing is the first in a series titled, “Perspectives from the Field: Farmer and Rancher Views on the Agricultural Economy.”

In yesterday’s hearing, Senator Tuberville also spoke with American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall about how President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 helped bolster the agriculture community and the need to eliminate the “death tax” to help preserve family farms. Senator Tuberville has been, and will continue to be, a staunch advocate to eliminate the death tax.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Senator Tuberville will remain on the Senate Ag Committee where he will continue to be a voice for Alabama’s farmers, foresters, and producers as the Senate prepares to draft a Farm Bill.

Excerpts from Senator Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and his full remarks can be found on YouTube or Rumble.

INTRODUCTION OF GARRETT MORE OF CHANCELLOR

“Today, I’m proud to introduce Mr. Garrett Moore from Chancellor, Alabama. Garrett’s a proud fourth-generation farmer in Alabama’s Wiregrass region, which is the Southeastern part of the state. He is also a proud veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, having served as an infantryman for four years, some of that overseas in Japan and near the DMZ of South Korea. After completing his military service, Garrett wanted to return to his roots and farm in LA – that’s Lower Alabama. He currently farms nearly 1,500 acres of peanuts, cotton, corn, and cattle with his father across Southeast Alabama. Garrett is Chairman of the Coffee County Young Farmers Association, “Alabama Row Crop Farmer of the Year” recipient, and part of the Southern Peanut Farmers’ Leadership Academy. I am grateful for the hard work Garrett has done to produce food and fiber for Alabama and advocate for our young farmers, and also being an Auburn Tiger fan—War Eagle. Garrett, thanks for being here today.”

OPENING REMARKS

“Thank you Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing. As everyone in this room knows, the state of the agriculture economy is in dire straits. We’re in trouble, and it’s not getting much better. Our farmers are struggling. Producers have lost over $40 billion in net farm income since 2022, and the current agriculture trade deficit is $45.5 billion. We cannot stay on that same track. Producers in my state of Alabama and across the country are producing bumper crops, but they can’t break even, much less make a profit due to low commodity prices and high input costs, interest rates, and inflation. It’s been 13 years since reference prices for Title 1 commodities have been updated. Yet, the costs of production are not what they were 13 years ago – in fact, they are 30 to 40% higher. Our farmers need a new Farm Bill with a strong and reliable farm safety net to support producers amidst fluctuating market conditions, natural disasters, and skyrocketing production costs. The $10 billion in economic assistance Congress passed in December was a crucial lifeline to keep some producers afloat – and we need to ensure it is implemented quickly.”

ON HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TCJA HELPS FARMERS

TUBERVILLE: “Mr. Duvall—In your testimony, you discuss the importance of extending the expiring provisions of President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act(TCJA) to keep farmers in business. Can you discuss the tax provisions that our producers rely upon the most?”

DUVALL: “Yes sir, I can. One, it provided for a reduced tax rate. Most of our farmers—98% of them—are operating under pass-through entities, and that’s important to them. Section 199A is important to them very much because it preserves that 20%business income deduction. Section 179 also needs to be continued—it’s called ‘bonus depreciation.’ It allows our farmers to reinvest in their business so they can meet the goals that our country has for us, whether it be conservation, climate, whatever it might be—soil health. But we have to have that bonus depreciation. And then of course, the last one we spoke about—young farmers and beginning farmers—estate taxes. Estate taxes—itneeds to be eliminated—so that we can continue to pass our farms on for generations to come and make sure we bring stability to our system—our food system. This is something people sweat blood from to pay for. This is their land, their home, and they want to keep it in production. And there’s so many pressures on that land staying in production—it’s just unreal and this pressure makes it unbelievable when a family person dies and you have to sell part of the farm to pay the taxes and what does that do? It takes it out of production, puts it into houses or solar panels or whatever and it never comes back to agriculture .”

TUBERVILLE: “Thank you. Bonus depreciation, estate taxes—my phone rings off the wall. And we need to listen to it. And I’m sure the rest of the senators are the same. Mr. Duvall, the agriculture trade deficit, as I just said, is $45.5 billion. This is shameful. America has the best farmers and producers in the world. What suggestions do you have to improve ag trade and close the gap?”

DUVALL: “We’ve got to have new agreements. We got to open up the markets. We can compete with anybody in the world as long as we’re allowed to use innovation and the research that has come into our farms that keeps us on cutting edge, and as long as our farmers are led by voluntary, market-based programs, we will do anything this country asks us to do if it’s led in that direction and we have proven that in conservation by putting over 140 million acres into conservation efforts over the last few decades—and that’s the size of California and New York state together.”

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville, Paul Introduce Legislation to Rein in Government, Hold Bureaucrats Accountable
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) joined U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to introduce theRegulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act to put power back in the people’s hands instead of the administrative state. This legislation would require Congressional approval for federal regulations that will have an annual economic impact of $100 million or more before the proposed rule can take effect.

“D.C. bureaucrats need less power, not more,” said Senator Tuberville. “The Constitution clearly outlines that Congress, not unelected swamp creatures, are supposed to make our laws. This bill compliments the great work Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency are doing to cut wasteful spending and get the government working for the people again. It is vital that Congress reins in Big Government and gives the power back to the American taxpayers.”

U.S. Senators Tuberville and Paul were joined by U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Jim Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and Eric Schmitt (R-MO) in cosponsoring the legislation.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

BACKGROUND:

Under the REINS Act, once major rules are drafted, they must then be affirmatively approved by both chambers of Congress and then signed by the President, satisfying the bicameralism and presentment requirements of the Constitution. Currently, regulations ultimately take effect unless Congress specifically disapproves.

The bill defines a “major” rule as one that the Office of Management and Budget determines may result in an economic impact of $100 million or greater each year; “a major increase in costs or prices” for American consumers, government agencies, regions, or industries; or “significant adverse effects” on the economy.

The REINS Act also includes the following changes from the original bill, which was introduced in the past:
- New Defense for Individuals: Individuals can argue that the average person would not have known their actions violated federal law if the statute did not clearly state it.
- Right to Sue: People can sue to stop enforcement if an agency implements a major rule without getting congressional approval.
- LIBERTY Act: Agency guidance with an economic impact of $100 million or more needs congressional approval just like major rules.
- Deregulatory Actions Exempted: Agencies do not need congressional approval to withdraw costly or burdensome rules.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Barrasso: USTR Nominee Greer Will Open New Markets for Wyoming Ag, Energy and Mining

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) discussed opening up new markets for Wyoming industries, specifically mining, energy production and agriculture, with Jamieson Greer, President Donald J. Trump’s nominee to be the United States Trade Representative.

Senator Barrasso and Mr. Greer also discussed how the Trump administration will protect American energy producers from Mexico’s violations of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Mr. Greer’s confirmation hearing was held today by the Senate Committee on Finance.

On Opening Up New Markets for Wyoming Producers:

“Mr. Greer, thanks so much for being here, and thanks so much for taking the time to visit in my office.

“As U.S. Trade Rep, you’re going to be the tip of the sphere in advancing President Trump’s pro-growth and pro-worker trade agenda. You’re going to be working to open up new markets for our nation, for our producers, including for Wyoming mining, Wyoming energy production, and for our farmers and ranchers. You’ll also be protecting America’s interests and fighting back against abusive trade practices from foreign adversaries that undermine U.S. industries and our critical supply chains.

“You have a big task in front of you, as we discussed. We’re all counting on you. I have no doubt that, given your experience serving President Trump as Chief of Staff to the U.S. Trade Rep during his first term, that you’re ready and you’re equipped to lead the charge on behalf of the nation’s trade agenda for his second term.

“In regard to market access, I know we all talk a lot about market access today. We also talked about market access when we met in my office.

“I mentioned to you the importance of opening up new opportunities for the industries from my home state of Wyoming. We talked about how opening up markets in Japan for U.S. beef, that was a big win for Wyoming ranchers. I told you about how Wyoming is an energy powerhouse and the nation’s energy breadbasket. Wyoming also plays a major part in the world, providing abundant affordable energy to our allies around the world.

“We also have huge mineral deposits in Wyoming – a mineral called trona – which is refined into soda ash, a basic chemical building block used in manufacturing lots and lots of products, including glass, detergent, pharmaceuticals.

“Whether it’s oil, natural gas, coal, critical minerals, and agriculture. Wyoming’s economy, the U.S. economy is going to greatly benefit as we export resources to new markets.

“As U.S. Trade Rep, what types of emphasis are you going to place on opening up new markets for U.S. exporters and certainly for Wyoming producers?”

Follow Up:

“Could you add to that in terms of how you would do it differently than what we saw the last four years under the Biden administration? I thought they fell way short in opening access to new markets.”

Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.

On Protecting American Energy Producers from Hostile Mexico:

“I want to talk about Mexico and USMCA commitments. So Mexico has repeatedly violated the historic United States-Mexico-Canada agreement. They were ruled by a dispute panel to be in violation of USMCA with respect to U.S. corn. Mexico has taken hostile actions towards seizing assets of U.S. companies.

“An issue that I’ve weighed in on over the years has been Mexico’s hostility toward U.S. energy companies. Mexico’s previous president discriminated against U.S. energy producers, favoring the state-owned utilities and oil and gas companies.

“The Biden administration, I think, fell well short of fully protecting U.S. energy producers. And Biden’s U.S. Trade Rep failed tremendously to make any meaningful progress. That’s left great uncertainty, jeopardized lots and lots of money in U.S. investment.

“I’d like to enter into the record a bicameral letter that I led on the need to address this matter.

“And so, the question is going forward under the Trump administration and with Mexico’s new president, who is now in office, how important is it going to be for you, as U.S. Trade Rep, to help protect U.S. energy companies and their investments.”

Click here to watch Sen. Barrasso’s remarks.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Barrasso, Bennet Introduce Bill to Keep Ski Fees Local
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) introduced the Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development (SHRED) Act. This bipartisan legislation will allow local National Forests to retain a portion of annual fees paid by ski areas operating on Forest Service lands.

In exchange for using some of America’s most stunning forestlands, the 124 ski areas operating on Forest Service lands across the country pay fees to the Forest Service that average over $40 million annually. The SHRED Act would establish a framework for local National Forests to retain a portion of ski fees to offset increased recreational use and support local ski permit and program administration. The SHRED Act also provides the Forest Service with the flexibility to direct resources where they are needed the most.

“Skiing plays an important role in Wyoming’s economy. Wyoming communities and ski areas deserve to reap the benefits of the money earned through ski fees,” said Senator Barrasso. “This money can be used for critical projects like facility and trailhead improvements. It can also be used to limit the impact of wildfires across Wyoming. This bill is a win for skiers, local economies, and the health of our national forests. Keeping ski area fees local will ensure we keep Washington out of the West.”

“Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy depends on the strong partnership between ski areas, the U.S. Forest Service, and our mountain towns,” said Senator Bennet. “The SHRED Act will support Colorado’s iconic mountain communities and National Forests in maintaining their landscapes for millions of visitors each year. This bill has strong bipartisan support on the ground and in the House and the Senate. Congress should pass this legislation swiftly to support our ski areas and public land recreation management.”

Co-sponsors of this legislation include U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

This legislation was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Blake Moore (R-Utah) and Joe Neguse (D-Colo.).

“Utah is known for having the Greatest Snow on Earth, and skiing is a critical component of our local economy. Our local government knows how to responsibly steward our resources, and the SHRED Act will help us do just that. By allowing the annual fees paid by ski areas to be used for maintenance and improvements, we can ensure these funds directly benefit Utah and other western states,” said Rep. Moore.

This legislation is supported by the National Ski Area Association and its 124-member ski areas operating on public lands, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Colorado Association of Ski Towns, America Outdoors Association, Vail Resorts, and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.

“Ski areas across the country appreciate the leadership of Senator Barrasso and Senator Bennet and their unwavering support for outdoor recreation. Retaining ski area permit fees and reinvesting them locally to help the Forest Service keep pace with public recreation demand is key to boosting the agency’s capacity, improving visitor services and expanding access to our nation’s forests for all Americans.” – Michael Reitzell, President & CEO, National Ski Areas Association

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

Background:

The SHRED Act would:
- Keep Ski Fees Local: By establishing a Ski Area Fee Retention Account to retain the fees that ski areas pay to the Forest Service. For National Forests that generate ski fees, 80 percent of those fees are available for authorized uses at the local National Forest. The remaining 20 percent of those fees would be available to assist any National Forests with winter or broad recreation needs.
- Support Winter Recreation: In each forest, 75 percent of the retained funds are directly available to support the Forest Service Ski Area Program and permitting needs, process proposals for ski area improvement projects, provide information for visitors and prepare for wildfire. Any excess funds can be directed to other National Forests with winter or broad recreation needs.
- Address Broad Recreation Needs: In each forest, 25 percent of the retained funds are available to support a broad set of year-round local recreation management and community needs, including special use permit administration, visitor services, trailhead improvements, facility maintenance, search and rescue activities, avalanche information and education, habitat restoration at recreation sites and affordable workforce housing. This set-aside would dramatically increase some Forest Service unit’s budgets to meet the growing visitation and demand for outdoor recreation.
MIL OSI USA News –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul Convenes Trade Policy Roundtable

Source: US State of New York

Today, Governor Kathy Hochul convened a roundtable with business leaders from Western New York to discuss the potential impacts of trade tariffs on New York’s economy and consumers.

B-ROLL of the Governor convening the roundtable with business leaders can be found on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here .

PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor’s Flickr page here.

“I cannot emphasize enough how devastating tariffs would be for New Yorkers: the cost of most goods would spike, businesses would see massive disruption and our economic growth would be put at risk,” Governor Hochul said. “Today in Buffalo, I heard directly from Western New York business leaders about their concerns about tariffs. We all know the cost of living is too damn high — and that’s why New Yorkers can’t afford a backdoor tax disguised as a tariff.”

Buffalo Niagara Partnership President & CEO Dottie Gallagher said, “Placing a heavy tariff on all imports from our largest trading partner will raise costs and drive inflation on employers and families across the Buffalo Niagara region. Canada has long been our closest trading partner and ally, and its recent $1.3 billion investment in border security proves that Canada remains committed to our mutually beneficial partnership. Our federal leaders must stick to trade policy that encourages growth and investment, and unlocks the power of our cross-border economy. We thank Governor Hochul for bringing employers to the table to understand the impacts tariffs would have on our regional economy.”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Millions to see faster journeys as government green lights £90 million for 4 essential road schemes across England
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Government is investing in vital schemes to improve journey times in Wiltshire, Leeds, Essex and Buckinghamshire.
government gives the green light for 4 transformative road schemes, speeding up journey times for cars and buses, reducing pollution and improving safety

part of the government’s commitment to prioritise value for money road schemes while renewing our national infrastructure

£90 million for all 4 schemes, as the government’s Plan for Change delivers better living standards across the country

Drivers across Wiltshire, Leeds, Essex and Buckinghamshire will see faster journeys thanks to £90 million of government funding to upgrade 4 major road schemes in England.

The schemes approved today are:

A350 Chippenham Bypass phases 4 and 5 in Wiltshire

A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Leeds

South East Aylesbury Link Road (SEALR) in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange in Essex

Schemes are expected to significantly speed up journeys, boosting the local economy, as well as improving links between the east and the west. They will also save businesses and road users hundreds of hours off journeys every week and deliver the government’s Plan for Change to improve living standards across the country.

The A350 Chippenham Bypass, one of the most important routes connecting the South West with the Midlands and South East, is expected to see journey times reduced by up to a quarter, with 2 sections of the road to be dualled and improvements made to the roundabout.

Local residents will benefit from reduced traffic on more local routes as well as better road safety and better access to jobs in the area. Businesses are expected to save time and money, as goods can travel more freely with improved access to a key part of the UK’s road freight network.

A total of £90 million for the 4 schemes is being contributed by the government, expected to generate millions more to the UK economy. This is part of the government’s Plan for Change to renew infrastructure and raise living standards across the UK.

The government is determined to speed up the delivery of infrastructure across the UK, which includes improving the UK’s road network for economic growth. As well as faster journeys, drivers are also set to benefit from improved road surfaces, thanks to a recently announced record £1.6 billion investment to fill the equivalent of 7 million potholes and repair roads.

The Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood, said:

The UK’s roads are the backbone of a growing economy, which is why we’re giving these vital schemes the go ahead, helping deliver our Plan for Change.

Economic growth has been stunted for too long, so we’re giving the green light and investing in vital schemes to help people get from A to B more easily however they choose to travel.

The area around the A647 Dawsons Corner and Stanningley Bypass in Leeds has seen high traffic levels worsen over the years, impacting bus services in particular. The replacement of the roundabout and structural renewal of the bypass is expected to increase the number of bus passengers, speeding up traffic for all modes of road transport.

Upgrades to the SEALR scheme will reduce air pollution in the town centre, link up new developments in the area and create more walking and cycling options, with a new 1.2 kilometre 2-lane dual carriageway link road. This scheme is also essential in enabling further housing development, which could see up to 1,000 homes added to the local area.

Drivers in Essex will also see faster journeys, as well as improved safety on the A127/A130 Fairglen Interchange. The scheme will see enhancements to the interchange and surrounding roundabouts, serving thousands of drivers every day. Basildon and Southend town centres are expected to see growth and the scheme will also improve capacity for the route serving London Southend Airport.

A significant milestone for drivers in Essex, the Future of Roads Minister, Lilian Greenwood has visited the Fairglen Interchange in Essex to mark the approval of the scheme and learn how it will benefit the local economy.

Michelle Gardner, Deputy Director – Policy, Logistics UK, said:

80% of UK freight travels on roads at some point on its journey to the end user and an efficient road network is critical to enable business to drive growth across the whole economy.

Congestion makes journey planning highly unpredictable which increases business costs through factors such as missed deliveries, unnecessary overtime, increased fuel consumption and inefficient fleet utilisation.

The schemes given the go-ahead today show how even smaller-scale strategic upgrades can have a dramatic impact across the whole network. Upgrading the national infrastructure in this way makes supply chains more resilient and enables logistics providers to ensure that the right goods are in the right place at the right time – whether that is a factory, office, hospital or doorstep.

Roads media enquiries

Media enquiries 0300 7777 878

Switchboard 0300 330 3000

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 7 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Warm homes and cheaper bills as government accelerates Plan for Change
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Households across the country are set to benefit from cheaper bills and warmer homes as the government accelerates its Plan for Change.
Up to half a million households could be lifted out of fuel poverty by 2030 in major boost to standards in the private rental sector

Tenants in poor energy performance properties to be hundreds of pounds better off as part of government’s Plan for Change

Energy saving measures to be installed in properties to cut the cost of bills and protect the pounds in renters’ pockets

Families have faced rocketing energy bills as a direct consequence of an overreliance on international gas markets, while at the same time thousands of tenants have been left exposed to cold, draughty homes, pushing bills up even higher.

The government is now calling time on this inheritance by consulting on bold new plans, which could save private renters £240 per year on average on their energy bills, with all private landlords in England and Wales mandated to meet higher energy performance ratings in their properties by 2030.

While 48% of private rented homes in England are already Energy Performance Certificate C or above, ministers now want to ensure this good practice is extended to all properties in the sector, making sure landlords are not undercut, while protecting tenants.

As of 2030 all private landlords will be required to meet a higher standard of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C or equivalent in their properties – up from the current level of EPC E.

This will deliver on the priorities of working people, in line with the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, by requiring landlords to invest in measures such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or double glazing, ensuring homes are warmer and more affordable for tenants.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said:

For far too long we have seen too many tenants plagued by shoddy and poor conditions in their homes and this government is taking swift action to right the wrongs of the past.

Through our Plan for Change we are driving up housing standards, improving quality of life, and slashing energy bills for working people and families.

Today is just one of many steps we are taking to deliver on our promise to transform the lives of millions of renters across the country, so families can put down roots and raise their children in secure and healthy homes.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

For years tenants have been abandoned and forgotten as opportunities to deliver warm homes and lower energy bills have been disregarded and ignored.

As part of our Plan for Change, these new changes could save renters £240 a year by raising the efficiency of homes to cut the cost of bills.

These plans will also make sure that all private landlords are investing in their properties, building on the good work of many to upgrade their homes to Energy Performance Certificate C or higher already.

The government is now seeking views from tenants and landlords on the proposals to boost living standards in the private rented sector and cut the cost of energy bills, which include:

offering landlords a choice over how to meet energy efficiency standards. This will require them to meet a fabric standard through installing measures such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation or double glazing, before moving on to a range of other options including batteries, solar panels and smart meters

a maximum cap of £15,000 per property for landlords, with support currently available from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, and Warm Homes: Local Grant which begins delivery this year

an affordability exemption, which would lower the cost cap to £10,000 and could be applied based on lower rents or council tax band

requiring all landlords to meet the new standard by 2030 at the latest, providing an extra 2 years compared with previous proposals. Homes that are already rated A-C before the introduction of new Energy Performance Certificates would be considered compliant until they expire

The government is also consulting on a revised fuel poverty strategy, which will focus on improving the energy performance of homes, supporting low-income households with energy affordability and protecting them from high prices.

Today’s steps mark further progress to deliver the government’s Plan for Change, putting more money in people’s pockets and rebuilding Britain.

This follows planned reforms to empower Ofgem, the energy regulator, to become a strong consumer champion, upgrading up to 300,000 homes through the Warm Homes Plan this financial year, and driving a new era of clean energy through the Clean Power Action Plan.

Stakeholder reaction

Rt Hon Caroline Flint, Chair of the Committee on Fuel Poverty, said:

Private rented sector tenants have far greater risk of being in fuel poverty particularly in low-cost older homes. The lack of investment by some landlords to end the scandal of cold homes has gone on for too long.

In the last 5 years the efforts to reduce fuel poverty flatlined. I welcome the focus on improving standards in the private rented sector and the opportunity to reset and re-energise England’s Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Adam Scorer, Chief Executive of National Energy Action said:

Alleviating fuel poverty means ensuring everyone can afford to keep their homes warm and healthy. It is about addressing high energy bills and inefficient homes, but it also contributes to other government missions, supporting efforts to reach net zero, preventing ill-health and tackling child poverty. A more vigorous, ambitious approach is very welcome to get back on track to lift millions out of the daily despair of a cold home and unaffordable bills.

Millions of households are struggling to pay their bills. A disproportionate number of these live in privately rented properties. Working towards stronger energy efficiency standards for landlords is the level of ambition needed to meet legal fuel poverty commitments. The private rented sector includes some of the worst quality housing, lived in by some of the most vulnerable people. We hope that these steps signal an end to fuel poor renters enduring in cold, leaky homes.

The UK government must now seize the opportunity that this new strategy and regulations bring, fortifying them with new spending to improve the homes of fuel poor households.

Charles Wood, Deputy Director at Energy UK, said:

This announcement marks a welcome recommitment from the government to improving energy efficiency standards in rented properties by strengthening Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) requirements. The most affordable energy is the energy we don’t use – yet too many households still lose money and warmth due to inefficient homes. With some of the least energy-efficient housing in Western Europe, there are serious financial and health consequences, particularly for renters who have little control over improving their homes.

With energy bills remaining high, it’s vital that the government prioritises measures that bring real savings to households and give clarity to the market to ramp up supply chains and training. Boosting energy efficiency is the most effective way to lower energy bills and system costs, and to create warmer, healthier homes for everyone.

Ben Twomey, Chief Executive at Generation Rent, said:

One in four private renters live in fuel poverty, the highest rate of any tenure. If we can’t afford to heat our homes properly that makes us vulnerable to ill-health and other problems in the home like damp and mould. Therefore, we encourage renters across the country to respond to this consultation to make sure the benefits of the Warm Homes plan are felt by tenants.

Madeleine Gabriel, director of sustainable future at Nesta, said:

Private renters too often face steep energy bills without a clear way to make their home more energy efficient. Private rented properties have worse energy efficiency ratings than both owner-occupied and social rented homes, while private renters are less confident taking energy efficiency measures like turning down boiler flow temperature than homeowners. The government is right to set a clear target for improving energy efficiency in the private rented sector and provide landlords with flexibility to achieve this.

Stew Horne, Head of policy at Energy Saving Trust, said;

With energy bills still high, it’s great to see the publication of the much anticipated consultation to get England closer to making the homes of private renters warmer and more affordable to heat.

With almost a fifth of homes across England being privately rented and around a quarter of these households living in fuel poverty, improving the energy efficiency of these properties is key to supporting a fair transition to a low carbon society. It will also be important to facilitate the changes landlords can make to upgrade private rented homes, including providing access to attractive green finance options.

We look forward to helping to shape the Warm Homes Plan so it encourages the retrofit of the private rented sector, creating more comfortable homes and lowering bills for renters.

Notes to editors

The average cost to landlords of complying with the proposals to upgrade their properties is estimated to be between £6,100 and £6,800 by 2030.

The consultation on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector will be available later today.

The consultation on a new fuel poverty strategy will be available later today.

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Share on Facebook (opens in new tab)

Share on Twitter (opens in new tab)

Updates to this page

Published 7 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Chinese premier meets with Sultan of Brunei

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

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING, Feb. 6 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Thursday.

In recent years, under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, China and Brunei have steadily advanced their relationship, with cooperation in various fields expanding significantly and yielding fruitful results, Li said.

China has always regarded Brunei as an important partner in its quest for deepening friendly relations with its neighbors, Li noted, adding that China is willing to work with Brunei to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, maintain high-level exchanges, strengthen political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, and jointly promote development and prosperity, bringing better benefits to the people of both countries.

China is ready to work with Brunei to upgrade economic and trade cooperation, and grasp the renewal of the Belt and Road cooperation plan as an opportunity to speed up the construction of key projects. China is also ready to work with Brunei to strengthen cooperation concerning the information industry, scientific and technological innovation, green development, agriculture and other fields, and jointly foster new economic drivers, Li noted.

China, in addition, is ready to import more high-quality agricultural and aquatic products from Brunei and encourage qualified Chinese enterprises to invest in Brunei, Li said, while adding that China hopes the Brunei side will provide more support and facilitation for Chinese companies.

China firmly supports ASEAN in strengthening unity and strategic autonomy and is willing to work together with all ASEAN member states, including Brunei, to promote the establishment of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, Li said.

Brunei highly values its relationship with China, firmly adheres to the one-China policy, regards China as a key partner, and is willing to expand cooperation with China in areas such as trade, petrochemicals, digital economy and agriculture, and in addressing climate change, Hassanal stressed.

Brunei is ready to deepen cooperation within the framework of ASEAN-China relations, strengthen regional connectivity and people-to-people exchanges, promote the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and China, and foster regional peace, stability and prosperity, Hassanal said.

Brunei appreciates China’s important role in international and regional affairs and supports China’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), he added.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

MIL OSI China News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court

Source: The White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the International Criminal Court (ICC), as established by the Rome Statute, has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel. The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel, as neither country is party to the Rome Statute or a member of the ICC. Neither country has ever recognized the ICC’s jurisdiction, and both nations are thriving democracies with militaries that strictly adhere to the laws of war. The ICC’s recent actions against Israel and the United States set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former United States personnel, including active service members of the Armed Forces, by exposing them to harassment, abuse, and possible arrest. This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States Government and our allies, including Israel. Furthermore, in 2002, the Congress enacted the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 7421 et seq.) to protect United States military personnel, United States officials, and officials and military personnel of certain allied countries against criminal prosecution by an international criminal court to which the United States is not party, stating, “In addition to exposing members of the Armed Forces of the United States to the risk of international criminal prosecution, the Rome Statute creates a risk that the President and other senior elected and appointed officials of the United States Government may be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.” (22 U.S.C. 7421(9)).

The United States unequivocally opposes and expects our allies to oppose any ICC actions against the United States, Israel, or any other ally of the United States that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction. The United States remains committed to accountability and to the peaceful cultivation of international order, but the ICC and parties to the Rome Statute must respect the decisions of the United States and other countries not to subject their personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction, consistent with their respective sovereign prerogatives.

The United States will impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions, some of which may include the blocking of property and assets, as well as the suspension of entry into the United States of ICC officials, employees, and agents, as well as their immediate family members, as their entry into our Nation would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.

I therefore determine that any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute protected persons, as defined in section 8(d) of this order, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, and I hereby declare a national emergency to address that threat. I hereby determine and order:
     Section 1. (a) All property and interests in property that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of any United States person, of the following persons are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in:
(i)   the person listed in the Annex to this order; and
(ii) any foreign person determined by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney General:
(A) to have directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute a protected person without consent of that person’s country of nationality;
(B) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, any activity in subsection (a)(ii)(A) of this section or any person whose property or interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or
(C) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property or interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.
(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted before the date of this order.

Sec. 2. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the types of articles specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this order would seriously impair my ability to address the national emergency declared in this order, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order.

     Sec. 3. The prohibitions in section 1(a) of this order include:
     (a) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to section 1 of this order; and
     (b) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Sec. 4. The unrestricted immigrant and nonimmigrant entry into the United States of aliens determined to meet one or more of the criteria in section 1 of this order, as well as immediate family members of such aliens, or aliens determined by the Secretary of State to be employed by, or acting as an agent of, the ICC, would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, and the entry of such persons into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, is hereby suspended, except where the Secretary of State determines that the entry of the person into the United States would not be contrary to the interests of the United States, including when the Secretary of State so determines, based on a recommendation of the Attorney General, that the person’s entry would further important United States law enforcement objectives. In exercising this responsibility, the Secretary of State shall consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security on matters related to admissibility or inadmissibility within the authority of the Secretary of Homeland Security. Such persons shall be treated as persons covered by section 1 of Proclamation 8693 of July 24, 2011 (Suspension of Entry of Aliens Subject to United Nations Security Council Travel Bans and International Emergency Economic Powers Act Sanctions). The Secretary of State shall have the responsibility for implementing this section pursuant to such conditions and procedures as the Secretary of State has established or may establish pursuant to Proclamation 8693.

Sec. 5. Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall submit to the President a report on additional persons that should be included within the scope of section 1 of this order.

Sec. 6. (a) Any transaction that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, causes a violation of, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.
(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

Sec. 7. Nothing in this order shall prohibit transactions for the conduct of the official business of the Federal Government by employees, grantees, or contractors thereof.

     Sec. 8. For the purposes of this order:
     (a) the term “person” means an individual or entity;
     (b) the term “entity” means a government or instrumentality of such government, partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization;
     (c) the term “United States person” means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including a foreign branch, subsidiary, or employee of such entity), or any person lawfully in the United States;
     (d) the term “protected person” means:
(i)   any United States person, unless the United States provides formal consent to ICC jurisdiction over that person or becomes a state party to the Rome Statute, including:
(A) current or former members of the Armed Forces of the United States;
(B) current or former elected or appointed officials of the United States Government; and
(C) any other person currently or formerly employed by or working on behalf of the United States Government; and
(ii) any foreign person that is a citizen or lawful resident of an ally of the United States that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction over that person or is not a state party to the Rome Statute, including:
(A) current or former members of the armed forces of such ally of the United States;
(B) current or former elected or appointed government officials of such ally of the United States; and
(C) any other person currently or formerly employed by or working on behalf of such a government;
     (e) the term “ally of the United States” means:
(i)   a government of a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; or
(ii) a government of a “major non-NATO ally,” as that term is defined by section 2013(7) of the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act of 2002 (22 U.S.C. 7432(7));
     (f) the term “immediate family member” means a spouse or child;
     (g) the term “alien” has the meanings given to the term in section 101(a)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(3)); and
     (h) the term “foreign person” means a person that is not a United States person.

Sec. 9. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to section 1 of this order would render those measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in this order, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1 of this order.

Sec. 10. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including adopting rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions within the Department of the Treasury. All executive departments and agencies of the United States shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement this order.

Sec. 11. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).

     Sec. 12. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Economics: IMF Press Briefing Transcript – Julie Kozack
Source: International Monetary Fund

February 6, 2025

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND PRESS BRIEFING

Washington, D.C. Thursday, February 6, 2025

P R O C E E D I N G S
1. KOZACK: Good morning, everyone. It’s great to see you all, here in person and online. Welcome to the first IMF press briefing for 2025. I’m Julie Kozak, Director of the Communication Department. As usual, this briefing is embargoed until 11:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time. I’ll start with a few announcements and then I’ll move to take your questions in person, on WebEx, and via the Press Center.
First, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will travel to Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The Managing Director will visit Ethiopia on February 8th and 9th to meet Prime Minister Abiy and his team, and this visit will take stock of the economic reforms and progress that is being made by the country. She will also meet with stakeholders, including representatives of the private sector.

The Managing Director will also travel to the United Arab Emirates to participate in the Arab Fiscal Forum on February 10th and the World Government Summit on February 11th where she will deliver keynote remarks. On February 16th and 17th, the Managing Director will participate in a two-day conference in Saudi Arabia on building resilience of emerging market economies. The conference is co-organized by the IMF and the Saudi Finance Ministry.

The First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath will travel to Japan to join the Article IV mission. She will participate in meetings with the authorities and hold a press conference on February 7th at 10:30 a.m. Tokyo time.

Finally, Deputy Managing Director Okamura will travel to Japan to participate in a jointly organized IMF-JICA conference on Economic and Fiscal Policy Challenges and Prospects for Asia. And this is scheduled for February 12 and 13.

And with that I will now open the floor for your questions. For those connecting virtually, please do turn on both your camera and the microphone when speaking. Let’s get started.

QUESTIONER: Hi,I was just wondering, you mentioned Ethiopia. How concerned are you about sort of countries with large IMF programs which also receive a substantial amount of support from USAID, considering the recent executive order, countries like Ethiopia and Ukraine, for example. Thanks.

KOZACK: Thanks very much. So with respect to your question, you know we are closely following the announcements and developments regarding USAID. At this stage it’s too early to gauge the precise impact on the countries that it supports. We’ll wait for clarity on the next steps, including any changes to the scope of the work of USAID.

QUESTIONER: So, the IMF mission is going to start working in Ukraine this month. Could you specify please what main issues will the Fund plan to focus on during the Seventh Review of the EFF program. And the second question is about the pension reform in Ukraine. Ukrainian government committed to starting this reform this year. Could you elaborate on what key changes the IMF expects from Ukraine on this area? Thank you.

KOZACK: Are there any other questions on Ukraine?

QUESTIONER: So, according to latest information, the review of the EFF is scheduled to begin this month. When the decision on the disbursement is going to be made and what amount of funds are going to be provided with this fund? And the follow-up, how much money is left in the EFF according to the current situation? Are there any plans to expand this program? Thank you.

QUESTIONER: Just to follow up on the question about Ethiopia. Obviously, the USAID cuts also affect Ukraine pretty significantly. And I wonder, you know, both in those cases and in all cases involving USAID funding, whether you are working with the US ED here and sort of sending a message about the impact. So, whether you’ve kind of figured it out across the enterprise and across all the countries that the IMF works with as well. Thanks.

KOZACK: Anything else on Ukraine online? Okay. So, on Ukraine, just to remind everyone of the context. So, on December 20th, the IMF’s Executive Board approved the Sixth Review of the EFF program. That enabled the disbursement of $1.1 billion and that brought total disbursements under the program to $9.8 billion. And the total size of the program, I believe, was $15.6 billion. So, the difference between those two is what would be remaining. At that time, the Board assessed that program performance remained strong. The authorities had met all of the benchmarks and prior actions for the review.

With respect to the next mission, the technical work for the upcoming review is underway. The mission dates are in the process of being finalized, and once we have them, we’ll be sure to communicate that. During this upcoming mission, the IMF staff will engage with the authorities on fiscal policy, including progress on revenue mobilization, monetary policies for 2025, and also progress in ensuring that debt sustainability and fiscal sustainability are restored. Staff will also be reviewing governance reforms, which remain a key pillar for the program. Based on the approved calendar of disbursements, subject to completion of the next review and, of course, subject to Board approval, Ukraine would have access to about $900 million for that next review.

With respect to pension reform, the government has committed to launch pension reforms this year in 2025, and they would be spearheaded by the Ministry of Social Policy. And those reforms are supported by external partners, notably the World Bank. What I can also add is that the authorities are in the process of developing a comprehensive set of proposals for pension reforms, but it’s too early to tell exactly what will be included in those proposals and what the changes may be.

And on the second question, I don’t really have much to add to what I already said, other than obviously we’re paying close attention and we’re awaiting further details.

QUESTIONER: Hi, good morning. Thank you for taking my question. Just on Syria, can you give us an update if the IMF has made any contact with the new government and if there are any plans to provide a loan package to the country? Thank you.

KOZACK: We’re closely monitoring, obviously, the situation in Syria, and we stand ready to support the international community’s efforts to assist Syria’s reconstruction as needed and when conditions allow. With respect to our engagement, we have not had a meaningful engagement with Syria since 2009, which was the time of the last Article IV Consultation, and this has been due to the difficult security situation in the country.

QUESTIONER: I have two questions, and they’re Caribbean-related questions. Can you provide a breakdown of the growth projections for the Caribbean region, more specifically, focusing on St. Kitts and Nevis, and what factors are driving the projected growth or decline outlook for the region, more specifically, the Caribbean region?

KOZACK: Okay. All right, let me step back and give a little bit of an overview of where we stand, what our view is on the Caribbean. So, following the rapid recovery after the Pandemic, real GDP growth in the region has normalized in recent years. Average GDP growth for the region, and this is excluding Guyana and Haiti, is estimated at 2.2 percent for 2023, 2.4 percent for 2024. And growth, our projection is for growth to remain relatively stable at 2.4 percent in 2025.

Broadly speaking, there are sort of two groups of countries in the Caribbean. So, we look at tourism-dependent economies, and there we see that growth in tourism economies has slowed as tourism arrivals have returned to pre-Pandemic levels. And then for commodity-exporting countries, they have faced challenges in the energy sector but have overall benefited from robust performance in their non-energy sector, and that has been driven by supportive and economic policies.

I can also add that inflation in most Caribbean countries has moderated significantly over the past few years, and the decline was due to lower global commodity prices and easing of supply chain disruptions. And we expect inflation to remain moderate in the years to come.

QUESTIONER: My question is on the comment by Managing Director Georgieva in Davos. MD mentioned in Davos clearly that more cooperation in the regional levels might be needed in the future in such a fragmented world and IMF would support such a movement. And could you give me some more detailed plans?

KOZACK: Thanks very much for the question. What the Managing Director noted in Davos is that we are seeing shifting patterns in global cooperation, in trade, and in other areas, including financial and capital flows. And of course, as a global institution, what will be important for us is as we engage with our membership, right, to take all of this into account to ensure that we can give our members the best policy advice within our mandate of economic and financial stability.

QUESTIONER: Thanks so much, Julie. I wanted to ask you very broadly about the changes that are happening in the United States and the tariffs that President Trump has announced. Now the implementation of the tariffs on Canada and Mexico has been delayed to March 1st. And, you know, it’s not clear what will happen there exactly. But one of the, you know, the tariffs on China have stayed in place. China has now announced tariffs that will kick in on February 10th. The IMF has warned repeatedly against rising protectionism and also kind of cataloged the thousands of trade restrictions that have been put in place and growing over time since COVID. Can you just walk us through what your perception is right now? The markets have been really all over the place, you know, sort of up and down depending on the day’s mood. Do you see this period of trade uncertainty that you warned about in the WEO, kind of really affecting and dampening global growth prospects? Thanks.

KOZACK: Thanks very much. Let me see if anyone else has questions on this broad topic.

QUESTIONER: Thank you. Yeah, I was just wondering, just to follow on the previous question, how you sort of think about the unpredictability of of these tariffs or the discussions around the tariffs, the uncertainty that that kind of brings up, and potentially how that could affect monetary policy. We’ve seen a lot of analysts talking about how they no longer expect the Fed to cut, or they expect the Fed to cut maybe only once this year. I’m just sort of wondering how you’re kind of in real time or as close to real time as you can, sort of taking on board that unpredictability when you think about the U.S. economy and the impacts for global growth. Thanks.

KOZACK: Great. And you also had a question.

QUESTIONER: Yes. Just following up with my colleagues. What sort of study, if any, has the IMF undertaken to better understand the global ramifications of these tariffs? We know they’re on pause for another 30 days or so or less. And what sort of impact would small states that are heavily dependent on the United States feel going forward?

KOZACK: And let me go online to see if anyone online has a question along these lines.

QUESTIONER: It is very similar. Just wondering the fact that it’s not just tariffs that have imposed on China, but the threat of tariffs on countries across the EU, Canada, and Mexico, and what effect that has on the global outlook. Thank you.

KOZACK: Okay. Thank you. Anyone else online want to come in on this topic? Okay. So, what I can say on this issue is we’re following the announcements by the U.S. with respect to tariffs on Chinese goods and potentially Canadian and Mexican goods. We’re following these announcements. We believe that it’s in the interest of all to find a constructive way forward to resolve this issue.

With respect to the assessment, assessing the full impact of these measures of tariffs, it’s actually going to depend on several factors, and let me lay those out. One of those factors is going to be the responses of the countries concerned. Another factor will be how firms and consumers react. And finally, how the measures evolve over time will also have an impact.

So, at this stage, that’s what I can share with you. We will, of course, have more information over time and in due course as the situation evolves.

QUESTIONER: Julie, I’m sorry, I think the question is, like, can you say something about what uncertainty does to the global economy? I mean, you’ve talked about this in WEO’s before, but do you see this as a period of heightened uncertainty now that Trump has taken office? And, you know, what is the impact of that uncertainty on things like investment and all this, you know, the sort of categories of economic indicators that we look at?

KOZACK: So, I think what I can say is, of course, I would refer you to the WEO for some of those analysis. And again, assessing the full impact of this will include all of the factors that I just laid out. And we would take into account issues related to uncertainty, market reactions, et cetera, in an assessment that we will ultimately undertake as the situation evolves and once we have more information.

Let me now go online. I see a couple of hands up. So, if you’re online, please go ahead and jump in.

QUESTIONER: Hi, good morning. Thank you for taking my question. Well, has the letter of intent between the IMF and Argentina been prepared? Or let me ask in a different way. Are the negotiations between Argentina and the IMF already in the final stage?

KOZACK: Thanks. Other questions on Argentina?

QUESTIONER: Could you give me any updates on the negotiations of the new agreement and what are the most challenging issues they are facing right now? And also yesterday, Minister Luis Caputo said a new agreement will not imply a devaluation of the peso or the exit of the exchange restrictions the next day. Does the IMF agree with this statement?

KOZACK: Thanks. Others on Argentina?

QUESTIONER: Hi, Julie. I was wondering also if you could give some input regarding the meetings that the mission in Buenos Aires had, if they have only been talking to government officials or if they are also contacting unions and other opposition representatives. And also, the new crawling peg of 1 percent has started this February. I was wondering if that was a matter of discussion between the staff and the government.

KOZACK: Thanks, other questions?

QUESTIONER: Yes, thank you, Julie. So, my question is also on the crawling peg. So, is the IMF concerned about the greater exchange rate delay generated by this reduction of the crawling peg from 2 percent to 1 percent started the 1st of February?

KOZACK: Any other questions on Argentina? Okay, I hear two more. Please go ahead.

QUESTIONER: Hi, Julie, I wanted to know if Argentina has already paid a debt due on February 1st or when is it expected to do so? And if there is a meeting plan between Argentina authorities and the IMF network staff in Washington.

KOZACK: Thank you. Next.

QUESTIONER: Good morning. The question is if Argentina and the IMF comes to a new agreement, should it be like we are talking here in Argentina about $5 million? It will be for anything special, for example, to leave what we call cepo, or it depends on the Argentine authorities.

KOZACK: Any other questions on Argentina? Okay, I do not see anyone coming in.

So, on Argentina, what I can share is first that, as the Managing Director highlighted after her meeting with President Milei last month, we recognize Argentina’s tremendous progress in reducing inflation, stabilizing the economy, returning to growth, and with poverty finally starting to decline. We continue to engage constructively with the Argentine authorities. And a staff mission did recently visit Buenos Aires to advance discussions on a new program. The new program will aim to build on the gains that have been achieved so far, while also addressing the remaining challenges that the country faces. Constructive and frequent discussions continue, and we will provide further details on next steps when we have them.

I can also just add that to sustain early gains, there is a shared recognition between the Fund staff and the Argentine authorities about the need to continue to adopt a consistent set of fiscal, monetary, and foreign exchange policies while furthering growth-enhancing reforms. I also know that you have a lot of interest, and there were a lot of detailed questions here, but given that the discussions are continuing and there has been good progress so far, we do want to ensure that there is space for staff and the authorities to continue these constructive discussions. And of course, we will communicate more when we have further details.

Okay, let us go online because I see a few hands up.

QUESTIONER: My question is, when do we expect Board of Directors to discuss Egypt Fourth Review?

KOZACK: Do we have other questions on Egypt?

QUESTIONER: Hi, I’d like to ask, in addition to that, when the board does discuss Egypt’s Fourth Review, will it also be discussing an additional RSF for Egypt? There have been some reports that Egypt is in line to receive as much as $1 billion.

KOZACK: Other questions?

QUESTIONER: I just wanted to ask, in terms of the assessment of Egypt, but also other countries in the region, to what extent you are calculating additional costs and spending needs that have to do with Gaza and with the potential absorption of Palestinian refugees that has been proposed.

KOZACK: Okay, any other questions on Egypt? I see I have two questions that have come through the press center, which I will read aloud. So, the first is when will the IMF’s Executive Board complete the Fourth Review of the Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility for Egypt?

The second question is regarding the Executive Board’s approval of the Fourth Review of Egypt’s program, could it be this month? Does the IMF have updates on your projections for Egypt’s economy in light of regional updates?

Let me share with you where we are on Egypt. On December 24, the IMF staff and the Egyptian authorities reached a staff-level agreement on the Fourth Review of the EFF. This review is subject to approval of our Executive Board and subject to that approval, Egypt would have access to about $1.2 billion. Preparations for Board consideration are underway, and the Board meeting is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

In light of the difficult external conditions and challenging domestic environment, the IMF staff and the Egyptian authorities agreed to recalibrate the fiscal consolidation path, and this was agreed in December, I would highlight, to create fiscal space for critical social programs benefiting vulnerable groups and the middle class while ensuring debt sustainability.

Looking forward, reform priorities comprise lowering inflation, sustaining exchange rate flexibility, and liberalized access to foreign exchange. In addition, the program aims to boost domestic revenues. It aims to improve the business environment. It aims to accelerate disinvestment or divestment rather and leveling [of] the playing field between state-owned enterprises and the private sector. And of course, it also aims to enhance governance and transparency.

With respect to the question on the RSF, a policy package of reforms will be considered by the Fund’s Executive Board along with the Fourth Review of Egypt’s program.

And lastly, there is no connection at the moment between some of the announcements in Gaza and the and the Egypt program.

QUESTIONER: Hi, I wonder if I can just clarify. On the RSF, you say a policy package of reforms that also presumably comes with some additional funding. Can you confirm whether the amount of up to $1 billion is accurate?

KOZACK: I can’t confirm now the precise amount of the RSF, but of course as we have more information, we will provide that.

QUESTIONER: Thank you so much.

KOZACK: Let us go online. I see another hand online and then we will come back. Just one follow up, a follow up. Go ahead.

QUESTIONER: You cannot confirm the amount of the RSF. So just so we are clear, are you confirming that there are discussions around an RSF? Thanks.

KOZACK: Yes, there’s discussions on an RSF and the intention is to present the RSF with its package of reforms to our Executive Board at the same time as we present the Fourth Review of the EFF.

QUESTIONER: Question about Rwanda and Eastern Congo. I wanted to know, I know that the IMF has programs with both Rwanda and the DRC. And I wanted to know, you know, given the M23 incursion, the fall of Goma, how the programs can react to it, if there is anything you can say about that. And also, obviously, in El Salvador, they changed their cryptocurrency law, but it is also reported that they recently bought 50 bitcoins. So, some people are for the kind of national treasury. Some people are confused in terms of what the contours of the limitations put on. And I wonder if you could comment on that. Thanks a lot.

KOZACK: Okay, thank you. Any other questions on these countries? DRC, Rwanda, El Salvador?

Okay, let me start with DRC and I want to start by saying that, you know, we are deeply saddened by the loss of lives and the humanitarian crisis in the Eastern part of DRC. We are closely monitoring the situation, including its potential impact on neighboring countries and the region. And of course, we are also closely monitoring with respect to potential impact on our program.

With respect to Rwanda, what I can say on Rwanda is simply that the country continues to demonstrate a robust commitment to advancing policy reforms. And In December of 2024, our Executive Board concluded the Fourth Review of Rwanda’s programs.

With respect to El Salvador, just to step back and remind, IMF staff and the Salvadorian authorities reached a staff-level agreement on December 18th for a new arrangement, a new EFF arrangement. The arrangement would be for about $1.4 billion to support the government’s reform agenda, and this agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board.

I can also add that as explained in the press release that we issued following the staff-level agreement, the new Fund supported program aims to reduce the potential risks of the bitcoin project. Once in place, purchases of bitcoin will be confined under the program as agreed.

QUESTIONER: Thank you, Julie. Good morning, everyone. A few things. In Zimbabwe, when you expect a deal for the Staff Monitored Program? And on Lebanon, have you had any contact with the new government? Are there any signs that you are going to be able to work with them? Also on Senegal, can you give us any update on the resolution of the suspension of the financing program there? And lastly, are there any concerns of a drop in the commitment of funding from the U.S.? The 2025 project calls for the U.S. to stop putting money into the World Bank and the IMF. So, are you guys concerned about that?

KOZACK: Okay, thanks. Starting with Zimbabwe, I do not have an update for you for today on Zimbabwe, but we will come back to you bilaterally.

On Lebanon, what I can share is that, you know, we welcome the election of General Aoun as president of Lebanon, and we look forward to working with him and his new government to address the challenges facing the Lebanese economy. And just to remind, Lebanon continues to face profound economic challenges, and the conflict had exacerbated an already fragile macroeconomic and social situation. The election of the president, the formation of a new government, as well as the ceasefire, are critical to support policy actions and reforms that would allow the gradual return to the normalization of economic activity in Lebanon.

And what I can share on Senegal is that we are actively engaged in discussions with the authorities on addressing the misreporting case. Senegal’s Court of Auditors is expected to issue its final report this month. In parallel, IMF staff are working closely with the authorities to identify their capacity development needs and to implement corrective measures needed to address the root causes of the misreporting. These efforts are aimed at enhancing transparency, strengthening accountability, and preventing a recurrence of similar misreporting in the future.

And I think, on your final question, all I can say here is that the United States is the IMF’s largest shareholder, and it plays an extremely valuable role in helping ensure global financial stability. We have a long history of working with successive U.S. administrations, and we look forward to continuing to do so.

QUESTIONER: Thanks, Julie. Thank you for taking my question. When do you think we can expect the Executive Board’s approval on the next tranche for the Island Nation? And if there is any delay, what sort of reason is there? Is there more for the government to do? And secondly, the budget for the country is expected in a few weeks. Has the IMF given any input on preparing this budget, given the fact that the country is still in the EFF program?

KOZACK: Thanks. So, your question was on Sri Lanka? And yes, I see you nodding. So, if anyone else has questions on Sri Lanka, I can take them now. Okay. If not, let me go ahead with Sri Lanka.

So, on Sri Lanka on November 23rd, IMF staff and the Sri Lankan authorities reached a staff-level agreement on the Third Review of Sri Lanka’s EFF program. Once approved by the IMF’s Executive Board, Sri Lanka will have access to about $333 million in financing. And we expect the Board meeting to take place in the coming weeks.

Here, I would also just like to take the opportunity to emphasize that Sri Lanka’s ambitious reform agenda is delivering commendable outcomes. The economy expanded by 5.5 percent in the fourth — third quarter of 2024. Average headline and core inflation remain contained well below the target during the fourth quarter of 2024. And international reserves increased to $6.1 billion at the end of 2024.

With respect to the specific question on the budget, what I can share is that the staff-level agreement that I mentioned, which was reached in November, will be presented to the Executive Board or is subject to Executive Board approval, but it’s also contingent upon, among other things, implementation by the authorities of prior actions, including submission of the 2025 budget that is consistent with parameters identified under the program.

QUESTIONER: Most of the questions we had have been touched upon, and I would just reinforce as well what colleagues had said earlier about trying to get a sense of what all this uncertainty around tariffs will mean. I know there is a tendency to talk about the policies once they are implemented and the impact. But given the fact that policies get announced and withdrawn and swung around, it seems like the uncertainty has more of the impact than the actual policy. But all that seems to be covered. I will get to — actually, the only outstanding question we have now is if you could update us on the status of the Mozambique program and if there is a risk to that program’s existence right now, given what is going on. That is for our Africa colleagues. Everything else was covered. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
1. KOZACK: Thank you very much. So, on Mozambique, what I can share is that the Article IV Consultation and the Fourth Review of the Extended Credit Facility, or ECF, were completed back in July of 2024. An IMF team will visit Maputo in the coming weeks to engage with the new government. We do remain engaged to support the country’s efforts toward remaining macroeconomic stability, accelerating growth and making growth more inclusive, in line with the arrangements. But given that there is a mission in the coming weeks, we will have more to report toward the end of that engagement.
QUESTIONER: Julie, regarding Russia, are there any developments concerning the postponed mission to Russia to evaluate progress in economy that was stopped in September due to necessity to gather additional information and make additional analysis. Anything we should expect this year, probably? Thank you.

KOZACK: Unfortunately, I don’t yet have an update for you or a timeline for the Article IV.

QUESTIONER: One final question. Thank you. Sorry, Julie, I’m going to try again with a sort of a similar question. But, you know, we are seeing a fundamental shift in the global and potentially in the support that is available for developing countries. The United States has ended foreign assistance. It has frozen funding for the World Food Program. It is pulling out of and talking about pulling out of the World Health Organization. These are institutions that are part, writ large, of the Bretton Woods system in which the IMF is such a key player.

So, I do not think it’s unfair of us to be asking for some guidance from you about how you at an institution like the IMF are approaching this period of time that is marked by uncertainty, not just for the markets or for global trade, but also for the institutions themselves. And, you know, we have seen some initial reports that Elon Musk’s DOGE employees or people who work with DOGE are starting to look at the World Bank and other institutions.

And I, you know, so I guess we want to hear something from you that is a little bit broader about the time that we’re in and what it means, because it obviously has implications for other countries, too, if they’re going to fill the gap in the developing thing. And, you know, you have been warning for years that the developing economies face a kind of perfect storm of different difficult circumstances. This seems like it adds to, to it. Thanks.

KOZACK: Thanks very much. Look, what I can say now is really what I’ve been saying. I really do not have much to add other than that we are a global institution. We have a clearly defined mandate to support economic and financial stability globally and just ultimately support growth and employment in the world economy. We are continuing as an institution to remain laser-focused, of course, on that mandate. And we, as a global institution, take our responsibility to serve our membership very, very seriously. And we will continue to do everything that we need to do to serve our membership in the best possible way. You know, we do, as I said, have a long history of working with successive U.S. administrations, and we look forward to continuing to do so as an institution for which the U.S. is our largest shareholder.

And with this, I’m going to bring this press briefing to an end. Thank you all for your participation today. As a reminder, this briefing is embargoed until 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time today. A transcript will be made available later on IMF.org, and as usual, in case of clarifications, additional queries, or anything else, please reach out to my colleagues at media@mf.org.

This does conclude our first press briefing of the year. I wish everyone a wonderful day and I do look forward to seeing you next time. Thank you all so much for joining, and please be safe given the weather outside here in D.C. Thank you, everyone.

* * * * *

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER:

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

@IMFSpokesperson
MIL OSI Economics –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Young Introduce Legislation to Fast Track Development of New Baseload Power Projects to Improve Grid Reliability
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven

02.06.25

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) today introduced the Guaranteeing Reliability through the Interconnection of Dispatchable (GRID) Power Act, legislation to remove delays in the development of new baseload power generation projects that would improve the reliability of the electrical grid. Specifically, the Hoeven-Young bill would:
- Following rulemaking from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), authorize regional grid operators to give priority consideration for baseload generation projects seeking an interconnection agreement.
  
  The interconnection queue is where proposed projects wait before grid operators begin conducting their feasibility and system impact studies.
  
  As of 2023, the median wait time was five years for an interconnection agreement, significantly delaying the construction of critical projects.
  
  FERC would be required to initiate rulemaking to establish this process within 90 days of the bill’s enactment and finalize the rule within 180 days.
- Establish a timeline of 60 days for FERC to act on baseload generation projects given priority consideration by grid operators.
  
  Timely approval of projects would help address the gap in reliable power generation created by Biden-Harris administration rules like the Clean Power Plan 2.0, which have accelerated the retirement of American baseload power plants.
“The reliability of the electric grid has been undermined for years by Green New Deal policies advanced under the Obama and Biden administrations, whose heavy-handed approach to regulation has forced the retirement of critically-needed baseload power plants. The result is an unstable grid, power shortages and more brownouts and blackouts,” said Senator Hoeven. “Our legislation seeks to reverse this trend by empowering grid operators to put baseload power generation projects at the front of the line for approval. Further, it sets deadlines for FERC, requiring the agency to promptly set up this priority approval process and to start acting on baseload power projects. Doing so will enhance our nation’s energy security and help ensure the power stays on when needed most.”

“Bureaucratic delays are slowing critical power projects and threatening the reliability of our electric grid. We need to cut through red tape to get more power online faster. This bill will strengthen our grid to promote American energy independence and drive economic growth—especially in states like Indiana, where reliable energy is vital to jobs and Hoosier workers,” said Senator Todd Young.

“Our interconnection queue is buckling under its own weight,” said Rep. Balderson. “Transmission providers are tasked with ensuring we have enough electricity to keep the lights on, but the growing backlog of projects is adding years to an already time-consuming process. This legislation would give grid operators the authority to identify and expedite the consideration of essential projects that will protect our grid’s reliability and provide the power needed to meet America’s growing demand.”

“Ensuring grid reliability is paramount, and this bill recognizes the role that always-on dispatchable power must play in meeting that need. A reliable power grid requires generation sources that can be counted on to meet demand at any time. Rep. Balderson and Senators Hoeven and Young’s leadership on this issue, alongside their continued advocacy for baseload power, highlights the need for policies that recognize the value of dispatchable energy resources—including coal, natural gas, and nuclear power—so that American families and businesses can depend on affordable and secure electricity. The Lignite Energy Council appreciates their commitment to energy reliability and the future of dependable power generation,” said Jason Bohrer, President and CEO of the Lignite Energy Council (LEC).

“AXPC applauds Congressman Balderson, Senator Hoeven and Senator Young’s efforts to prioritize projects that enhance grid reliability and capacity. As our nation’s power demand continues to rise, it is critical that we don’t delay consideration of power-generation projects, such as those that use natural gas, that can provide needed dispatchable power and enhance reliability,” said Anne Bradbury, CEO of American Exploration & Production Council (AXPC).

“Significant increases in electricity demand are expected in every region of the country, driven by data centers powering advancements in AI, domestic manufacturing, and the electrification of various sectors of the economy. Grid operators should be given significant flexibility to address current or future reliability concerns, including the creation of an accelerated interconnection for resources identified as critical to maintaining reliability. The bill appropriately requires stakeholder feedback and FERC approval before any changes are made, ensuring that all viewpoints are heard. EPSA is grateful to Congressman Balderson and Senators Hoeven and Young for their leadership on this critical issue and his commitment to electric grid reliability,” said Todd Snitchler, President & CEO of the Electric Power Supply Association (EPSA), the national trade association for independent power producers.

A companion to the bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Troy Balderson (R-Ohio).
MIL OSI USA News –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Tells Trade Nominee to Focus on Opening More Export Markets, Not a Tariff-First Approach

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

02.06.25

Cantwell Tells Trade Nominee to Focus on Opening More Export Markets, Not a Tariff-First Approach

“The biggest task at hand is to […] get U.S. products into more places,” Cantwell tells Trump’s pick for U.S. Trade Representative; In fallout of Trump’s tariff threats, Cantwell paints a clear path forward: Instead of imposing tariffs, we need to open new markets;

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, emphasized the importance of open markets for farmers and exporters in the State of Washington and across the country during a Finance Committee hearing to consider the nomination of Jamieson Greer for U.S. Trade Representative.

“When you look at apples — and about [50%] of our market export is to Canada and Mexico,” said Sen. Cantwell, “and the U.S. Free Trade Agreement increased that capacity … why are we arguing with our closest neighbors, our biggest export markets for apples? And in the meantime, not going out and opening up more apple markets?

“The tariffs that were put on cost us an unbelievable retaliatory tariff in India,” Sen. Cantwell added. “It basically decimated the market. It went from 120 million in India down to 1 million. …. I fought hard and did get the Biden administration to work with India and reverse that tariff on apples. And I have to say we are now back to recapturing that market. But I don’t understand why you think a tariff-first approach is the way to capitalize on the biggest task at hand.”

As a front page article in today’s Yakima Herald-Republic warns: Potential trade war could hit Yakima Valley agriculture.

Yesterday, Sen. Cantwell voted against advancing the nomination of Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s choice to be Secretary of the Department of Commerce, citing concerns with Lutnick’s support for Trump’s proposed tariffs.

Tuesday, Sen. Cantwell delivered a major speech on the Senate floor, arguing that the President’s arbitrary tariffs threaten domestic job creation and economic growth in an Information Age. She outlined a strategy focused on building coalitions, growing exports, and establishing principles to support innovation in the Information Age.

Sen. Cantwell has remained a steadfast supporter of free trade to grow the economy in the State of Washington and nationwide. Sen. Cantwell was the leading voice in negotiations to end India’s 20 percent retaliatory tariff on American apples, which devastated Washington state’s apple exports. India had once been the second-largest export market for American apples, but after then-President Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum in his first term, India imposed retaliatory tariffs in response and U.S. apple exports plummeted. The impact on Washington apple growers was severe: apple exports from the state dropped from $120 million in 2017 to less than $1 million by 2023. In September 2023, following several years of Sen. Cantwell’s advocacy, India ended its retaliatory tariffs on apples and pulse crops which was welcome news to the state’s more than 1,400 apple growers and the 68,000-plus workers they support.

In May 2023, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter urging the Biden Administration to help U.S. potato growers finally get approval to sell fresh potatoes in Japan. In June 2023, Sen. Cantwell hosted U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), then-chair of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in Washington state for a forum with 30 local agricultural leaders in Wenatchee to discuss the Farm Bill.

In 2022, Sen. Cantwell spearheaded passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, a law to crack down on skyrocketing international ocean shipping costs and ease supply chain backlogs that raise prices for consumers and make it harder for U.S. farmers and exporters to get their goods to the global market.

In August 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue requesting aid funds be distributed to wheat growers. In December 2018, Sen. Cantwell celebrated the passage of the Farm Bill, which included $500 million of assistance for farmers, including those who grow wheat.

In 2019, Sen. Cantwell helped secure a provision in the $16 billion USDA relief package, ensuring sweet cherry growers could access emergency funding to offset the impacts of tariffs and other market disruptions.

In Washington state: Two out of every five jobs are tied to trade and related industries. In 2023, the state imported $19.9 billion of goods from Canada – primarily oil, gas, lumber, and electrical power — making our northern neighbors Washington state’s largest trade partner. Also in 2023, the state imported $1.7 billion in goods from Mexico, including motor vehicles, vehicle parts, and household appliances. More information about how President Trump’s proposed tariffs will impact businesses and consumers in the State of Washington is HERE.

Video of Sen. Cantwell’s remarks during today’s hearing is available HERE, audio is available HERE, and a transcript is available HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Letter to Duffy: ‘You Must Make Sure That All Conflicts Of Interest Between The FAA & Elon Musk Are Removed’

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

02.06.25

Cantwell Letter to Duffy: ‘You Must Make Sure That All Conflicts Of Interest Between The FAA & Elon Musk Are Removed’

In letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Cantwell urges admin to protect flying public from Elon Musk’s clear conflicts of interest; Cantwell: “We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason – to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy calling on him to ensure that Elon Musk stays out of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), citing Musk’s clear conflicts of interest.

“FAA has the legal responsibility for safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses. Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches share the airspace with commercial airplanes, and the FAA has the responsibility for keeping the entire airspace safe. SpaceX has been fined by the FAA for failing to comply with specific requirements in its launch license. Mr. Musk, in turn, called for the firing of Mike Whitaker, the FAA Administrator who the Senate confirmed 98-0 because the FAA issued a fine against SpaceX for not following the rules. We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason—to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest,” Sen. Cantwell wrote.

“We are now without a permanent FAA Administrator to lead us through the biggest U.S. air crash we have had in years. Secretary Duffy, you must make sure that all conflicts of interest between the FAA and Elon Musk are removed.”

Yesterday, Duffy wrote on the social media platform X that he plans to use The Department of Government Efficiency, of which Musk is a leader, “to plug in to help upgrade our aviation system.” His post followed two weeks of DOGE employees disrupting operations across the federal government, including freezing the hiring of air traffic controllers and encouraging all FAA employees to take a buyout. This also included urging federal employees – including air traffic controllers and FAA safety inspectors – to end their employment through a new deferred resignation program in the midst of a shortage of about 3,000 certified controllers and need for more safety inspectors on aircraft production factory floors.

Elon Musk is the owner and founder of SpaceX, an aerospace company that launched 134 rockets last year. In September, the FAA fined the company $633,009 for failing to follow license requirements for two launches.

Earlier today, Sen. Cantwell told reporters in a press gaggle on Capitol Hill that Musk’s involvement in the FAA’s oversight of our air transportation system was “a clear conflict of interest.”

Last year, when Sen. Cantwell served as chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, she sounded the alarm about the staffing shortage of air traffic controllers, need for more FAA safety inspectors, a series of aviation incidents and near-misses on and around runways, and the midair blowout of a door plug in January 2024. She led the passage of the FAA Reauthorization Act, signed into law in May 2024, which boosts controller staffing, ensuring a five-year commitment to maximum hiring and training to close the current staffing gap. The law requires upgraded safety technologies – giving controllers better visibility into runway traffic – to be installed at every large and medium airport nationwide. The law also includes stricter safety standards for aircraft operators and plane manufacturers, as well as provisions to boost staffing to put more FAA safety inspectors on factory floors.

The full text of the letter is HERE and below:

February 6, 2025

The Honorable Sean Duffy

Secretary

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

Washington DC, 20590

Secretary Duffy:

When you and I spoke the other day, you asked if we could work together to accelerate the implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (Next Gen) —as we directed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to do in the FAA Reauthorization that became law in May 2024. I agree we need to work together to galvanize support to continue getting the best technology in place as soon as possible and make federal investments to make aviation safer.

However, when we spoke, you did not discuss your intention to involve Elon Musk in the FAA’s safety systems or process. It is a conflict of interest for someone whose company is regulated by the federal government to be involved in anything that affects his personal financial interest, his company or his competitors.

FAA has the legal responsibility for safety oversight of companies with commercial space transportation licenses. Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket launches share the airspace with commercial airplanes, and the FAA has the responsibility for keeping the entire airspace safe. SpaceX has been fined by the FAA for failing to comply with specific requirements in its launch license. Mr. Musk, in turn, called for the firing of Mike Whitaker, the FAA Administrator who the Senate confirmed 98-0 because the FAA issued a fine against SpaceX for not following the rules. We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason—to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest.

We are now without a permanent FAA Administrator to lead us through the biggest U.S. air crash we have had in years. Secretary Duffy, you must make sure that all conflicts of interest between the FAA and Elon Musk are removed.

I look forward to working with you to invest in our aviation safety and appreciate your cooperation in ensuring all ethics laws and regulations are followed.

Sincerely,

Maria Cantwell

Ranking Member

Cc: David Huitema, Director, Office of Government Ethics

Mitch Behm, Acting Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Lee Introduces Bill Making Trump Ban on Central Bank Digital Currency Permanent

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Utah Mike Lee

WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the No CBDC Act to prevent the Federal Reserve from reshaping the U.S. financial sector and having the ability to monitor consumer transactions through a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). President Donald Trump recently banned federal agencies from creating a CBDC through an executive order; this legislation would enshrine the ban permanently in law. It is co-sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL) in the Senate. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) is introducing the House companion bill.

“The United States doesn’t need to create a Central Bank Digital Currency to know it is a bad idea,” said Sen. Lee. “We’ve seen this play out in China with the digital Yuan. In early trials, China canceled its citizens’ money after a set period, forcing Chinese citizens to spend their savings at the compulsion of the government. My bill protects Americans from a similar intrusion by prohibiting the Federal Reserve or any federal government agency from minting or issuing a CBDC, whether through a direct-to-consumer or intermediated model.”

“CBDCs are nothing more than a tool for tyrants to intimidate, control, and surveil the activities of American citizens, and it is my duty as a patriot to stop them.” said Rep. Ogles. “I am honored to co-lead this effort with Senator Lee.”

BACKGROUND:

During the Biden Administration, the Federal Reserve (“the Fed”) began to develop a potential framework – known as Project Cedar – for a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), a digital asset issued and controlled by the Fed. A CBDC would alter the ability of financial institutions to function as lenders, while giving the federal government knowledge of every purchase that uses a CBDC.

Financial institutions would be significantly restricted in offering loans, instead being relegated to functioning merely as wallets. A CBDC, in many ways, allows the Fed to replace the role of banks as financial intermediaries, thereby granting the government far more power over the economy, inflation, and investment decisions. In other words, free enterprise and financial privacy would be dealt a critical blow with the creation of a CBDC.

Lastly, the Federal Reserve would have knowledge of every transaction involving a CBDC; if it maintains the technology to create and operate a CBDC, Big Brother will know Americans’ every purchase.

SUPPORT:

“Americans demand financial protection and privacy after facing the threat of unelected federal bureaucrats creating an invasive, all-seeing central bank digital currency controlled by the government. With a new conservative trifecta government, now is the time for Congress to protect Americans’ individual liberties and prohibit the government from centralizing its control over the economy. Heritage Action commends Sen. Lee for introducing this necessary legislation to safeguard Americans’ rights and promote freedom from financial intimidation.”

-Ryan Walker, Heritage Action Executive Vice President

“A Central Bank Digital Currency creates a fully traceable and controllable digital money that has dastardly implications for civil liberties and economic freedom. Rather than offering separation of money and state as found in Satoshi’s innovation of Bitcoin, CBDCs merge the power of state and money in a programmable way that would be easily abused and prove harmful to individual liberty and financial freedom.

Sen. Lee’s No CBDC Act would enshrine in law a prohibition against the Federal Reserve taking the United States down this path. On behalf of consumers who cherish their economic liberties, freedom of choice, and access to innovative technology, we applaud the Senator’s efforts with this bill, and hope many more legislators align on the issue to defend our rights to financial privacy”

-Yaël Ossowski, deputy director of the Consumer Choice Center

“Senator Lee is leading the way in this important fight to prevent the government from creating an entirely new tool of financial control and surveillance. A federally issued CBDC would be either entirely useless or, more likely, deeply dangerous. Thanks to Senator Lee’s leadership, Congress is stepping in to make clear that the executive branch has overstepped its authorities and must halt this deeply misguided debacle at once.”

-David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance.

For a one-pager, click HERE.

For full bill text, click HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Press Briefing Transcript – Julie Kozack
Source: IMF – News in Russian

February 6, 2025

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND PRESS BRIEFING

Washington, D.C. Thursday, February 6, 2025

P R O C E E D I N G S
1. KOZACK: Good morning, everyone. It’s great to see you all, here in person and online. Welcome to the first IMF press briefing for 2025. I’m Julie Kozak, Director of the Communication Department. As usual, this briefing is embargoed until 11:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time. I’ll start with a few announcements and then I’ll move to take your questions in person, on WebEx, and via the Press Center.
First, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva will travel to Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. The Managing Director will visit Ethiopia on February 8th and 9th to meet Prime Minister Abiy and his team, and this visit will take stock of the economic reforms and progress that is being made by the country. She will also meet with stakeholders, including representatives of the private sector.

The Managing Director will also travel to the United Arab Emirates to participate in the Arab Fiscal Forum on February 10th and the World Government Summit on February 11th where she will deliver keynote remarks. On February 16th and 17th, the Managing Director will participate in a two-day conference in Saudi Arabia on building resilience of emerging market economies. The conference is co-organized by the IMF and the Saudi Finance Ministry.

The First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath will travel to Japan to join the Article IV mission. She will participate in meetings with the authorities and hold a press conference on February 7th at 10:30 a.m. Tokyo time.

Finally, Deputy Managing Director Okamura will travel to Japan to participate in a jointly organized IMF-JICA conference on Economic and Fiscal Policy Challenges and Prospects for Asia. And this is scheduled for February 12 and 13.

And with that I will now open the floor for your questions. For those connecting virtually, please do turn on both your camera and the microphone when speaking. Let’s get started.

QUESTIONER: Hi,I was just wondering, you mentioned Ethiopia. How concerned are you about sort of countries with large IMF programs which also receive a substantial amount of support from USAID, considering the recent executive order, countries like Ethiopia and Ukraine, for example. Thanks.

KOZACK: Thanks very much. So with respect to your question, you know we are closely following the announcements and developments regarding USAID. At this stage it’s too early to gauge the precise impact on the countries that it supports. We’ll wait for clarity on the next steps, including any changes to the scope of the work of USAID.

QUESTIONER: So, the IMF mission is going to start working in Ukraine this month. Could you specify please what main issues will the Fund plan to focus on during the Seventh Review of the EFF program. And the second question is about the pension reform in Ukraine. Ukrainian government committed to starting this reform this year. Could you elaborate on what key changes the IMF expects from Ukraine on this area? Thank you.

KOZACK: Are there any other questions on Ukraine?

QUESTIONER: So, according to latest information, the review of the EFF is scheduled to begin this month. When the decision on the disbursement is going to be made and what amount of funds are going to be provided with this fund? And the follow-up, how much money is left in the EFF according to the current situation? Are there any plans to expand this program? Thank you.

QUESTIONER: Just to follow up on the question about Ethiopia. Obviously, the USAID cuts also affect Ukraine pretty significantly. And I wonder, you know, both in those cases and in all cases involving USAID funding, whether you are working with the US ED here and sort of sending a message about the impact. So, whether you’ve kind of figured it out across the enterprise and across all the countries that the IMF works with as well. Thanks.

KOZACK: Anything else on Ukraine online? Okay. So, on Ukraine, just to remind everyone of the context. So, on December 20th, the IMF’s Executive Board approved the Sixth Review of the EFF program. That enabled the disbursement of $1.1 billion and that brought total disbursements under the program to $9.8 billion. And the total size of the program, I believe, was $15.6 billion. So, the difference between those two is what would be remaining. At that time, the Board assessed that program performance remained strong. The authorities had met all of the benchmarks and prior actions for the review.

With respect to the next mission, the technical work for the upcoming review is underway. The mission dates are in the process of being finalized, and once we have them, we’ll be sure to communicate that. During this upcoming mission, the IMF staff will engage with the authorities on fiscal policy, including progress on revenue mobilization, monetary policies for 2025, and also progress in ensuring that debt sustainability and fiscal sustainability are restored. Staff will also be reviewing governance reforms, which remain a key pillar for the program. Based on the approved calendar of disbursements, subject to completion of the next review and, of course, subject to Board approval, Ukraine would have access to about $900 million for that next review.

With respect to pension reform, the government has committed to launch pension reforms this year in 2025, and they would be spearheaded by the Ministry of Social Policy. And those reforms are supported by external partners, notably the World Bank. What I can also add is that the authorities are in the process of developing a comprehensive set of proposals for pension reforms, but it’s too early to tell exactly what will be included in those proposals and what the changes may be.

And on the second question, I don’t really have much to add to what I already said, other than obviously we’re paying close attention and we’re awaiting further details.

QUESTIONER: Hi, good morning. Thank you for taking my question. Just on Syria, can you give us an update if the IMF has made any contact with the new government and if there are any plans to provide a loan package to the country? Thank you.

KOZACK: We’re closely monitoring, obviously, the situation in Syria, and we stand ready to support the international community’s efforts to assist Syria’s reconstruction as needed and when conditions allow. With respect to our engagement, we have not had a meaningful engagement with Syria since 2009, which was the time of the last Article IV Consultation, and this has been due to the difficult security situation in the country.

QUESTIONER: I have two questions, and they’re Caribbean-related questions. Can you provide a breakdown of the growth projections for the Caribbean region, more specifically, focusing on St. Kitts and Nevis, and what factors are driving the projected growth or decline outlook for the region, more specifically, the Caribbean region?

KOZACK: Okay. All right, let me step back and give a little bit of an overview of where we stand, what our view is on the Caribbean. So, following the rapid recovery after the Pandemic, real GDP growth in the region has normalized in recent years. Average GDP growth for the region, and this is excluding Guyana and Haiti, is estimated at 2.2 percent for 2023, 2.4 percent for 2024. And growth, our projection is for growth to remain relatively stable at 2.4 percent in 2025.

Broadly speaking, there are sort of two groups of countries in the Caribbean. So, we look at tourism-dependent economies, and there we see that growth in tourism economies has slowed as tourism arrivals have returned to pre-Pandemic levels. And then for commodity-exporting countries, they have faced challenges in the energy sector but have overall benefited from robust performance in their non-energy sector, and that has been driven by supportive and economic policies.

I can also add that inflation in most Caribbean countries has moderated significantly over the past few years, and the decline was due to lower global commodity prices and easing of supply chain disruptions. And we expect inflation to remain moderate in the years to come.

QUESTIONER: My question is on the comment by Managing Director Georgieva in Davos. MD mentioned in Davos clearly that more cooperation in the regional levels might be needed in the future in such a fragmented world and IMF would support such a movement. And could you give me some more detailed plans?

KOZACK: Thanks very much for the question. What the Managing Director noted in Davos is that we are seeing shifting patterns in global cooperation, in trade, and in other areas, including financial and capital flows. And of course, as a global institution, what will be important for us is as we engage with our membership, right, to take all of this into account to ensure that we can give our members the best policy advice within our mandate of economic and financial stability.

QUESTIONER: Thanks so much, Julie. I wanted to ask you very broadly about the changes that are happening in the United States and the tariffs that President Trump has announced. Now the implementation of the tariffs on Canada and Mexico has been delayed to March 1st. And, you know, it’s not clear what will happen there exactly. But one of the, you know, the tariffs on China have stayed in place. China has now announced tariffs that will kick in on February 10th. The IMF has warned repeatedly against rising protectionism and also kind of cataloged the thousands of trade restrictions that have been put in place and growing over time since COVID. Can you just walk us through what your perception is right now? The markets have been really all over the place, you know, sort of up and down depending on the day’s mood. Do you see this period of trade uncertainty that you warned about in the WEO, kind of really affecting and dampening global growth prospects? Thanks.

KOZACK: Thanks very much. Let me see if anyone else has questions on this broad topic.

QUESTIONER: Thank you. Yeah, I was just wondering, just to follow on the previous question, how you sort of think about the unpredictability of of these tariffs or the discussions around the tariffs, the uncertainty that that kind of brings up, and potentially how that could affect monetary policy. We’ve seen a lot of analysts talking about how they no longer expect the Fed to cut, or they expect the Fed to cut maybe only once this year. I’m just sort of wondering how you’re kind of in real time or as close to real time as you can, sort of taking on board that unpredictability when you think about the U.S. economy and the impacts for global growth. Thanks.

KOZACK: Great. And you also had a question.

QUESTIONER: Yes. Just following up with my colleagues. What sort of study, if any, has the IMF undertaken to better understand the global ramifications of these tariffs? We know they’re on pause for another 30 days or so or less. And what sort of impact would small states that are heavily dependent on the United States feel going forward?

KOZACK: And let me go online to see if anyone online has a question along these lines.

QUESTIONER: It is very similar. Just wondering the fact that it’s not just tariffs that have imposed on China, but the threat of tariffs on countries across the EU, Canada, and Mexico, and what effect that has on the global outlook. Thank you.

KOZACK: Okay. Thank you. Anyone else online want to come in on this topic? Okay. So, what I can say on this issue is we’re following the announcements by the U.S. with respect to tariffs on Chinese goods and potentially Canadian and Mexican goods. We’re following these announcements. We believe that it’s in the interest of all to find a constructive way forward to resolve this issue.

With respect to the assessment, assessing the full impact of these measures of tariffs, it’s actually going to depend on several factors, and let me lay those out. One of those factors is going to be the responses of the countries concerned. Another factor will be how firms and consumers react. And finally, how the measures evolve over time will also have an impact.

So, at this stage, that’s what I can share with you. We will, of course, have more information over time and in due course as the situation evolves.

QUESTIONER: Julie, I’m sorry, I think the question is, like, can you say something about what uncertainty does to the global economy? I mean, you’ve talked about this in WEO’s before, but do you see this as a period of heightened uncertainty now that Trump has taken office? And, you know, what is the impact of that uncertainty on things like investment and all this, you know, the sort of categories of economic indicators that we look at?

KOZACK: So, I think what I can say is, of course, I would refer you to the WEO for some of those analysis. And again, assessing the full impact of this will include all of the factors that I just laid out. And we would take into account issues related to uncertainty, market reactions, et cetera, in an assessment that we will ultimately undertake as the situation evolves and once we have more information.

Let me now go online. I see a couple of hands up. So, if you’re online, please go ahead and jump in.

QUESTIONER: Hi, good morning. Thank you for taking my question. Well, has the letter of intent between the IMF and Argentina been prepared? Or let me ask in a different way. Are the negotiations between Argentina and the IMF already in the final stage?

KOZACK: Thanks. Other questions on Argentina?

QUESTIONER: Could you give me any updates on the negotiations of the new agreement and what are the most challenging issues they are facing right now? And also yesterday, Minister Luis Caputo said a new agreement will not imply a devaluation of the peso or the exit of the exchange restrictions the next day. Does the IMF agree with this statement?

KOZACK: Thanks. Others on Argentina?

QUESTIONER: Hi, Julie. I was wondering also if you could give some input regarding the meetings that the mission in Buenos Aires had, if they have only been talking to government officials or if they are also contacting unions and other opposition representatives. And also, the new crawling peg of 1 percent has started this February. I was wondering if that was a matter of discussion between the staff and the government.

KOZACK: Thanks, other questions?

QUESTIONER: Yes, thank you, Julie. So, my question is also on the crawling peg. So, is the IMF concerned about the greater exchange rate delay generated by this reduction of the crawling peg from 2 percent to 1 percent started the 1st of February?

KOZACK: Any other questions on Argentina? Okay, I hear two more. Please go ahead.

QUESTIONER: Hi, Julie, I wanted to know if Argentina has already paid a debt due on February 1st or when is it expected to do so? And if there is a meeting plan between Argentina authorities and the IMF network staff in Washington.

KOZACK: Thank you. Next.

QUESTIONER: Good morning. The question is if Argentina and the IMF comes to a new agreement, should it be like we are talking here in Argentina about $5 million? It will be for anything special, for example, to leave what we call cepo, or it depends on the Argentine authorities.

KOZACK: Any other questions on Argentina? Okay, I do not see anyone coming in.

So, on Argentina, what I can share is first that, as the Managing Director highlighted after her meeting with President Milei last month, we recognize Argentina’s tremendous progress in reducing inflation, stabilizing the economy, returning to growth, and with poverty finally starting to decline. We continue to engage constructively with the Argentine authorities. And a staff mission did recently visit Buenos Aires to advance discussions on a new program. The new program will aim to build on the gains that have been achieved so far, while also addressing the remaining challenges that the country faces. Constructive and frequent discussions continue, and we will provide further details on next steps when we have them.

I can also just add that to sustain early gains, there is a shared recognition between the Fund staff and the Argentine authorities about the need to continue to adopt a consistent set of fiscal, monetary, and foreign exchange policies while furthering growth-enhancing reforms. I also know that you have a lot of interest, and there were a lot of detailed questions here, but given that the discussions are continuing and there has been good progress so far, we do want to ensure that there is space for staff and the authorities to continue these constructive discussions. And of course, we will communicate more when we have further details.

Okay, let us go online because I see a few hands up.

QUESTIONER: My question is, when do we expect Board of Directors to discuss Egypt Fourth Review?

KOZACK: Do we have other questions on Egypt?

QUESTIONER: Hi, I’d like to ask, in addition to that, when the board does discuss Egypt’s Fourth Review, will it also be discussing an additional RSF for Egypt? There have been some reports that Egypt is in line to receive as much as $1 billion.

KOZACK: Other questions?

QUESTIONER: I just wanted to ask, in terms of the assessment of Egypt, but also other countries in the region, to what extent you are calculating additional costs and spending needs that have to do with Gaza and with the potential absorption of Palestinian refugees that has been proposed.

KOZACK: Okay, any other questions on Egypt? I see I have two questions that have come through the press center, which I will read aloud. So, the first is when will the IMF’s Executive Board complete the Fourth Review of the Extended Arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility for Egypt?

The second question is regarding the Executive Board’s approval of the Fourth Review of Egypt’s program, could it be this month? Does the IMF have updates on your projections for Egypt’s economy in light of regional updates?

Let me share with you where we are on Egypt. On December 24, the IMF staff and the Egyptian authorities reached a staff-level agreement on the Fourth Review of the EFF. This review is subject to approval of our Executive Board and subject to that approval, Egypt would have access to about $1.2 billion. Preparations for Board consideration are underway, and the Board meeting is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

In light of the difficult external conditions and challenging domestic environment, the IMF staff and the Egyptian authorities agreed to recalibrate the fiscal consolidation path, and this was agreed in December, I would highlight, to create fiscal space for critical social programs benefiting vulnerable groups and the middle class while ensuring debt sustainability.

Looking forward, reform priorities comprise lowering inflation, sustaining exchange rate flexibility, and liberalized access to foreign exchange. In addition, the program aims to boost domestic revenues. It aims to improve the business environment. It aims to accelerate disinvestment or divestment rather and leveling [of] the playing field between state-owned enterprises and the private sector. And of course, it also aims to enhance governance and transparency.

With respect to the question on the RSF, a policy package of reforms will be considered by the Fund’s Executive Board along with the Fourth Review of Egypt’s program.

And lastly, there is no connection at the moment between some of the announcements in Gaza and the and the Egypt program.

QUESTIONER: Hi, I wonder if I can just clarify. On the RSF, you say a policy package of reforms that also presumably comes with some additional funding. Can you confirm whether the amount of up to $1 billion is accurate?

KOZACK: I can’t confirm now the precise amount of the RSF, but of course as we have more information, we will provide that.

QUESTIONER: Thank you so much.

KOZACK: Let us go online. I see another hand online and then we will come back. Just one follow up, a follow up. Go ahead.

QUESTIONER: You cannot confirm the amount of the RSF. So just so we are clear, are you confirming that there are discussions around an RSF? Thanks.

KOZACK: Yes, there’s discussions on an RSF and the intention is to present the RSF with its package of reforms to our Executive Board at the same time as we present the Fourth Review of the EFF.

QUESTIONER: Question about Rwanda and Eastern Congo. I wanted to know, I know that the IMF has programs with both Rwanda and the DRC. And I wanted to know, you know, given the M23 incursion, the fall of Goma, how the programs can react to it, if there is anything you can say about that. And also, obviously, in El Salvador, they changed their cryptocurrency law, but it is also reported that they recently bought 50 bitcoins. So, some people are for the kind of national treasury. Some people are confused in terms of what the contours of the limitations put on. And I wonder if you could comment on that. Thanks a lot.

KOZACK: Okay, thank you. Any other questions on these countries? DRC, Rwanda, El Salvador?

Okay, let me start with DRC and I want to start by saying that, you know, we are deeply saddened by the loss of lives and the humanitarian crisis in the Eastern part of DRC. We are closely monitoring the situation, including its potential impact on neighboring countries and the region. And of course, we are also closely monitoring with respect to potential impact on our program.

With respect to Rwanda, what I can say on Rwanda is simply that the country continues to demonstrate a robust commitment to advancing policy reforms. And In December of 2024, our Executive Board concluded the Fourth Review of Rwanda’s programs.

With respect to El Salvador, just to step back and remind, IMF staff and the Salvadorian authorities reached a staff-level agreement on December 18th for a new arrangement, a new EFF arrangement. The arrangement would be for about $1.4 billion to support the government’s reform agenda, and this agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board.

I can also add that as explained in the press release that we issued following the staff-level agreement, the new Fund supported program aims to reduce the potential risks of the bitcoin project. Once in place, purchases of bitcoin will be confined under the program as agreed.

QUESTIONER: Thank you, Julie. Good morning, everyone. A few things. In Zimbabwe, when you expect a deal for the Staff Monitored Program? And on Lebanon, have you had any contact with the new government? Are there any signs that you are going to be able to work with them? Also on Senegal, can you give us any update on the resolution of the suspension of the financing program there? And lastly, are there any concerns of a drop in the commitment of funding from the U.S.? The 2025 project calls for the U.S. to stop putting money into the World Bank and the IMF. So, are you guys concerned about that?

KOZACK: Okay, thanks. Starting with Zimbabwe, I do not have an update for you for today on Zimbabwe, but we will come back to you bilaterally.

On Lebanon, what I can share is that, you know, we welcome the election of General Aoun as president of Lebanon, and we look forward to working with him and his new government to address the challenges facing the Lebanese economy. And just to remind, Lebanon continues to face profound economic challenges, and the conflict had exacerbated an already fragile macroeconomic and social situation. The election of the president, the formation of a new government, as well as the ceasefire, are critical to support policy actions and reforms that would allow the gradual return to the normalization of economic activity in Lebanon.

And what I can share on Senegal is that we are actively engaged in discussions with the authorities on addressing the misreporting case. Senegal’s Court of Auditors is expected to issue its final report this month. In parallel, IMF staff are working closely with the authorities to identify their capacity development needs and to implement corrective measures needed to address the root causes of the misreporting. These efforts are aimed at enhancing transparency, strengthening accountability, and preventing a recurrence of similar misreporting in the future.

And I think, on your final question, all I can say here is that the United States is the IMF’s largest shareholder, and it plays an extremely valuable role in helping ensure global financial stability. We have a long history of working with successive U.S. administrations, and we look forward to continuing to do so.

QUESTIONER: Thanks, Julie. Thank you for taking my question. When do you think we can expect the Executive Board’s approval on the next tranche for the Island Nation? And if there is any delay, what sort of reason is there? Is there more for the government to do? And secondly, the budget for the country is expected in a few weeks. Has the IMF given any input on preparing this budget, given the fact that the country is still in the EFF program?

KOZACK: Thanks. So, your question was on Sri Lanka? And yes, I see you nodding. So, if anyone else has questions on Sri Lanka, I can take them now. Okay. If not, let me go ahead with Sri Lanka.

So, on Sri Lanka on November 23rd, IMF staff and the Sri Lankan authorities reached a staff-level agreement on the Third Review of Sri Lanka’s EFF program. Once approved by the IMF’s Executive Board, Sri Lanka will have access to about $333 million in financing. And we expect the Board meeting to take place in the coming weeks.

Here, I would also just like to take the opportunity to emphasize that Sri Lanka’s ambitious reform agenda is delivering commendable outcomes. The economy expanded by 5.5 percent in the fourth — third quarter of 2024. Average headline and core inflation remain contained well below the target during the fourth quarter of 2024. And international reserves increased to $6.1 billion at the end of 2024.

With respect to the specific question on the budget, what I can share is that the staff-level agreement that I mentioned, which was reached in November, will be presented to the Executive Board or is subject to Executive Board approval, but it’s also contingent upon, among other things, implementation by the authorities of prior actions, including submission of the 2025 budget that is consistent with parameters identified under the program.

QUESTIONER: Most of the questions we had have been touched upon, and I would just reinforce as well what colleagues had said earlier about trying to get a sense of what all this uncertainty around tariffs will mean. I know there is a tendency to talk about the policies once they are implemented and the impact. But given the fact that policies get announced and withdrawn and swung around, it seems like the uncertainty has more of the impact than the actual policy. But all that seems to be covered. I will get to — actually, the only outstanding question we have now is if you could update us on the status of the Mozambique program and if there is a risk to that program’s existence right now, given what is going on. That is for our Africa colleagues. Everything else was covered. Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
1. KOZACK: Thank you very much. So, on Mozambique, what I can share is that the Article IV Consultation and the Fourth Review of the Extended Credit Facility, or ECF, were completed back in July of 2024. An IMF team will visit Maputo in the coming weeks to engage with the new government. We do remain engaged to support the country’s efforts toward remaining macroeconomic stability, accelerating growth and making growth more inclusive, in line with the arrangements. But given that there is a mission in the coming weeks, we will have more to report toward the end of that engagement.
QUESTIONER: Julie, regarding Russia, are there any developments concerning the postponed mission to Russia to evaluate progress in economy that was stopped in September due to necessity to gather additional information and make additional analysis. Anything we should expect this year, probably? Thank you.

KOZACK: Unfortunately, I don’t yet have an update for you or a timeline for the Article IV.

QUESTIONER: One final question. Thank you. Sorry, Julie, I’m going to try again with a sort of a similar question. But, you know, we are seeing a fundamental shift in the global and potentially in the support that is available for developing countries. The United States has ended foreign assistance. It has frozen funding for the World Food Program. It is pulling out of and talking about pulling out of the World Health Organization. These are institutions that are part, writ large, of the Bretton Woods system in which the IMF is such a key player.

So, I do not think it’s unfair of us to be asking for some guidance from you about how you at an institution like the IMF are approaching this period of time that is marked by uncertainty, not just for the markets or for global trade, but also for the institutions themselves. And, you know, we have seen some initial reports that Elon Musk’s DOGE employees or people who work with DOGE are starting to look at the World Bank and other institutions.

And I, you know, so I guess we want to hear something from you that is a little bit broader about the time that we’re in and what it means, because it obviously has implications for other countries, too, if they’re going to fill the gap in the developing thing. And, you know, you have been warning for years that the developing economies face a kind of perfect storm of different difficult circumstances. This seems like it adds to, to it. Thanks.

KOZACK: Thanks very much. Look, what I can say now is really what I’ve been saying. I really do not have much to add other than that we are a global institution. We have a clearly defined mandate to support economic and financial stability globally and just ultimately support growth and employment in the world economy. We are continuing as an institution to remain laser-focused, of course, on that mandate. And we, as a global institution, take our responsibility to serve our membership very, very seriously. And we will continue to do everything that we need to do to serve our membership in the best possible way. You know, we do, as I said, have a long history of working with successive U.S. administrations, and we look forward to continuing to do so as an institution for which the U.S. is our largest shareholder.

And with this, I’m going to bring this press briefing to an end. Thank you all for your participation today. As a reminder, this briefing is embargoed until 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time today. A transcript will be made available later on IMF.org, and as usual, in case of clarifications, additional queries, or anything else, please reach out to my colleagues at media@mf.org.

This does conclude our first press briefing of the year. I wish everyone a wonderful day and I do look forward to seeing you next time. Thank you all so much for joining, and please be safe given the weather outside here in D.C. Thank you, everyone.

* * * * *

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

PRESS OFFICER:

Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

@IMFSpokesperson

https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/02/06/020625-tr-imf-press-briefing-julie-kozack

MIL OSI
MIL OSI Russia News –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Minns Labor Government releases draft legislation to protect gig workers
Source: New South Wales Premiere

Published: 7 February 2025

Released by: Minister for Industrial Relations

The Minns Labor Government is seeking industry and stakeholder input as it looks to legislate protections for gig workers and other precarious workers in the transport sector to modernise the NSW Industrial Relations Act.
Consultation on the draft bill will inform the development of the reforms which were a pre-election commitment. This will help ensure the changes are fit-for-purpose for the gig economy and the modern transport sector.

The proposed changes will extend to gig workers the same legal protections already offered to owner driver truck drivers, couriers and taxi drivers under Chapter 6 of the Industrial Relations Act.

The reforms will allow platform companies, employers and unions to apply to the Industrial Relations Commission for binding determinations on the workers’ pay and conditions of employment.

The Commission is required to consider what is fair and reasonable while promoting efficiency and productivity in the economy of NSW.

The NSW Government’s proposed changes will:
- Allow the Commission to determine what is fair and reasonable pay and conditions for rideshare and other gig workers in the transport industry.
- Correct the historical exemption that prevented milk, cream and bread delivery drivers from having the same protections.
- Explore new offences of accessorial liability for those who break the law in a supply chain.
- Ensure there are enforceable standards across road transport supply chains to make sure everyone, no matter how big or small, can recover their costs.
Consistent with the approach of the Commonwealth Government, the existing exemptions for transport of livestock and produce will remain in place.

The proposed changes will be complementary to the Federal Government’s gig workers reform.

Minister for Industrial Relations Sophie Cotsis said:

“We need to ensure our Industrial Relations system is fit for purpose.

“The public relies on gig workers in the transport industry every day, and workers can rely on us for the same legal protections.

“This is an important step in supporting the thousands of gig workers to ensure they have the same industrial rights to access the industrial relations commission.”
MIL OSI News –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: Video Presentation: James Altucher Declares: AI 2.0 Is Here—And It Will Transform Life As We Know It

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WASHINGTON, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AI expert James Altucher is making a bold new prediction in his recent video presentation: “AI 2.0 isn’t some future dream…” According to Altucher, this next wave of artificial intelligence will revolutionize every aspect of society, from the way we work to how we live.

“AI is now predicted to be a global $15,700,000,000,000 BOOM market by 2030”

Altucher believes we are witnessing a turning point in history, comparable to the invention of the internet, but at a scale never seen before.

The impact of AI 2.0 will soon be felt in industries worldwide, shaping the economy, security, and even personal freedoms. Altucher warns that AI’s expansion will be swift, leaving those unaware struggling to catch up.

“But [AI 2.0] will soon transform our economy, our lives, and our society forever.”

With a major AI milestone approaching on March 17, 2025, Altucher believes this moment will redefine the future.

About James Altucher

James Altucher is a leading AI expert, author, and entrepreneur with nearly four decades of experience in emerging technologies. He has been featured in major media outlets and is known for his forward-thinking insights on AI’s impact on society.

Media Contact:
Derek Warren
Public Relations Manager
Paradigm Press Group
Email: dwarren@paradigmpressgroup.com

The MIL Network –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: King to Senate Colleagues: “Now is the Time to Establish a Redline—the Constitution Itself”

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

To watch the floor speech click here or download here

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) today spoke on the Senate floor to share his growing concerns over the Trump Administration’s largely unconstitutional and unprecedented overreach — adding historical perspective to the decisions facing the Senate. In the speech, King also shared his position on Russell Vought, the nominee to become Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):

“We began our careers here with the following words, ‘I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the constitution of the united States against all enemies foreign and domestic.’

“When each of us arrived here in the senate, we took this oath to support and defend the constitution and as it says against all enemies foreign and domestic. I think it’s interesting that the framers concede that there might be domestic enemies to the constitution. Our oath was not to the Republican Party, not to the Democratic Party, not to Joe Biden, not to Donald Trump, but our oath was to defend the constitution.

“And right now — right now literally at this moment that constitution is under the most direct and consequential assault in our nation’s history. An assault not on a particular provision but on the essential structure of the document itself. It’s hard to grasp what is happening because of all the events that are swirling around us over the last several weeks. It’s coming from so many different quarters and so many different actors. It’s hard to get a picture of what’s really happening fundamentally.

“But this is an assault, and how we respond to it will define our life’s work, our place in history, and the future of our country. None of us will ever face a greater challenge.

“Before we get to the challenge, however, I think it’s important to ask why we have a constitution in the first place, why ours has so far stood the test of time.

“The answer to the first question, why have a Constitution in the first place, is contained in the preamble — we the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, there’s number one, establish justice, number two, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish this constitution of the United States of America.’

“You want to know what the Constitution is for? There it is. There’s the list — ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, ensure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

“But there’s a paradox at the heart of the creation of any government, whether it’s here or anywhere else on Earth, and anywhere else in history. There’s a paradox built in, because the essence of creating government is to give it power, give it our power, in order to look after us, in order to provide for the common defense, to ensure domestic tranquility, to provide justice to our people.

“In other words, we’re giving our power to this separate entity. But we have to do so with the realization that the power that’s being given has the potential to be abused. In other words, how do we give power to this entity, this government, and ensure that the government itself doesn’t use that power to abuse us as citizens? This is a question at the heart of all political discussion throughout history.

“The Romans even had a question that captured it. The question was, “quis custodiet, ipsos custodes?” It means who will guard the guardians? Who will guard those who we have given power to guard us? It’s a fundamental question that’s confronted every society and every government throughout history.

“Madison put it this way, and by the way he used a gender-specific term. I suspect if he were writing today it would be more broadly phrased. In the 51st federalist, ‘if men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to cover govern men, neither internal nor external controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this — you must first enable the government to control the governed.’ That’s the function. And in the next place, oblige it to control itself.

“Our framers understood this. They were deep students of history and also human nature. And they had just won a lengthy and brutal war against the abuses inherent in concentrated governmental power, George III. The universal principle of human nature they understood was this — power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That’s a universal principle, all over the world throughout history. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

“So how did they answer the question? How did they answer the question who will guard the guardians? They answered it by building into the basic structure of our government two essential safeguards. One was regular elections. In other words, returning the control of the government to the people on regular scheduled elections. By the way, this is what we learned in sixth grade, checks and balances. But the other piece that’s built into our system that’s the other essential safeguard is the deliberate division of power between the branches and levels of government.

“This is important, Mr. President. The cumbersomeness, the slowness, the clumsiness is built into our system. The framers were so fearful of concentrated power that they designed a system that would be hard to operate. And the heart of it was the separation of power between various parts of the government. The whole idea, the whole idea was that no part of the government, no one person, no one institution had or could ever have a monopoly on power.

“Why? Because it’s dangerous. History and human nature tells us that. This division of power as annoying and inefficient as it can be, particularly to the executive, I know because I used to be a governor, is an essential feature of the system, not a bug. It’s an essential, basic feature of the system, designed to protect our freedoms.

“Now, this contrasts with the normal structure of a private business, where authority is purposefully concentrated, allowing swift and sometimes arbitrary action. But a private business does not have the army, and the President of the United States is not the CEO of America.

“Power is shared, principally between the President and this body, this Congress, both houses. In fact, this herky-jerkiness, the two houses, the war power divided between the President and Congress, this unwieldy structure is the whole idea. No one has or should ever have all the power.

“So the concern I’m raising today isn’t some academic exercise or manifestation of political jealousy or abstract institutional loyalty. It’s the guts of the system, designed to protect us from the inevitable. And I mean inevitable abuse of an authoritarian state, the inevitable abuse of an authoritarian state. It’s the guts of our protection. In fact, this clumsy system is the main spring of our freedom. By the way, it’s worked so far, so far, and distinguishes us from the historical norm.

“We have to understand, we are an anomaly in history. The historical norm is pharaohs, kings, dictators, emperors, presidents for life. But the fact that we’re such an anomaly, and we’ve seen in our lifetimes other governments, other systems based upon ours slip into authoritarianism and dictatorship tells us how fragile what we have is. What we have in this country is an anomaly in history and it’s fragile, and it needs to be, must be, protected from generation to generation. This makes this moment all the more urgent and portentous.

“Now, the nominee before us today is one of the ring leaders of this assault, one of the ring leaders of the assault on our Constitution. He believes in a presidency of virtually unlimited powers. He’s written extensively about this. And explicitly rejects, for example, the exclusive power of congress to authorize and appropriate funds for the operation of the government. He espouses the discredited and illegal theory that the president has the power to selectively impound funds appropriated by congress, thereby rendering the famous power of the purse a nullity. I am not talking about the specifics and I will touch on A.I.D and other issues, but what I’m really worried about are the implications, the structural implications for our freedom and government of what’s happening here.

“We have to keep our eye on the big picture. Not all the confusion and smoke that’s going on over the last couple of weeks. Mr. Vought is one of the principal authors of the infamous Project 2025 which the President strangely hadn’t heard of during the campaign but now seems to be the essential guideline for his presidency. Project 2025 is nothing less than a blueprint for the shredding of the constitution and the transition of our country to authoritarian rule. He’s the last person who should be put in the heart of the operation of our government.

“Again, this isn’t about politics. This isn’t about policy. This isn’t about Republican versus Democrat. This is about tampering with the structure of our government, which will ultimately undermine its ability to protect the freedom of our citizens. If our defense of the Constitution is gone, there’s nothing left to us.

“So Thomas Moore said, ‘I expected you to betray me, Richard, but for Wales?’ We should not betray the constitution for temporary expedient because we don’t like this or that agency.

“Now I want to speak to my Republican colleagues. It is your constitutional prerogative to confirm this nominee and any others. I do not question that right, only its wisdom. And this nominee is a place to say no to the undermining and destruction of our constitutional system.

“But don’t stand aside in the midst of these confirmations, ill-considered foreign policy pronouncements, flood of executive orders, none of which will do a thing about the price of eggs, cost of housing or availabilities of child care. Don’t get caught up in all of that and ignore the steady and not-so-slow usurpation of congressional authority and fundamental alteration of the framers’ scheme.

“My colleague who preceded me, speaking from the Republican side, bemoaned Congress’ lack of oversight and praised Elon Musk for doing what congress should have done. Maybe she’s right and Congress should have done it, and we should do it, but not give away that power, which will never come back. Once this door is open, it’s going to be very difficult to close it again, no matter who the president is. No matter who’s in charge.

“To my colleagues, are there no red lines? Are there no limits?

“Just in the past ten days, we’ve seen the literal destruction of a statutorily, I emphasize that word, statutorily established and funded federal agency by people ostensibly working for the president understand vague authority, no transparency, and no guidance from the congress. Did they come to the Foreign Relations Committee and say what do you think about A.I.D.? Are there parts to work with or be reformed? No, zero.

“This small group, and we don’t know who they are, but this small group apparently it’s reported in their 20’s have no experience with government, no experience with foreign aid, no experience with the operation of the United States government, but they’re making basically policy decisions and constitutional decisions.

“The Constitution does not give to the President or his designee the power to extinguish a statutorily established agency. I can think of no greater violation of the strictures of the Constitution or usurpation of the power of this body. None. I can think of none. Shouldn’t this be a red line?

“By the way, I find it especially galling to read the sneering comment from the richest man in the world that, quote, ‘we spent the weekend feeding said into the chipper.’ Describing an action that will literally take food from the mouths of starving children. Forget red lines. Do we have no decency?

“And then there is the executive order freezing funding, again, selectively, for programs the administration doesn’t like or understand. I mentioned that I was a former governor and I would have loved to have had this power, but it’s a fundamental violation of the whole idea of the Constitution, the separa[tion] of powers.

“To say that the executive, you can pick and choose which laws you like, which funding programs, the level of funding, you can impound if you don’t want to spend it. Richard Nixon tried to do that. He was rebuffed by the Congress who passed a specific statute, no impoundments.

“In addition to the chaos, the uncertainty and demonstrable damage which my colleagues have been outlining all day brilliantly, there’s nothing theoretical about cutting off funding to a rural health clinic, for example, or support for small farmers or grants to your fire department. But getting away from those specifics, it’s easy to get pulled into those, and my office is hearing calls every day, we can hardly handle the volume, this again, to underline, is a frontal assault of our power, your power, the power to decide where public funds should be spent.

“Isn’t this an obvious red line? Isn’t this an obvious limit?

“Or finally, and I picked a few examples, but my final example is the power seemingly assumed by DOGE to burrow into the treasury’s payment system, and now CMS for undefined purposes, zero oversight and raises questions up to and including threats to national security. Do these people have clearance? Are the doors closed? Are they going to leave open doors into these? What are the opportunities for our adversaries to hack into the systems?

“We’re already under unprecedented cyberattack and we’re opening doors, although it’s impossible to determine what they’re taking. Remember there’s no transparency or oversight. Access to social security numbers seem to be in the mix. All the government’s personnel files, personal financial data, potentially everyone’s tax returns and medical records. That can’t be good. That can’t be good. That’s data that should be protected with the highest level of security and consideration of Americans’ privacy. And we don’t know who these people are. We don’t know what they’re taking out with them. We don’t know whether they’re walking out with laptops or thumb drives. We don’t know whether they’re leaving back doors into the system. There is literally no oversight. The government of the United States is not a private company. It is fundamentally at odds with how this system is supposed to work.

“Shouldn’t this be an easy redline?

“In short, Mr. President, we’re experiencing in real time exactly what the framers most feared. When you clear away the smoke, clear away the DOGE, the executive orders, foreign pronouncements, more fundamentally what’s happening is the shredding of the constitutional structure itself.

“And we have a profound responsibility it seems to be based on that pesky oath that we all took, to stop it, to stop it. […] But stop what’s going on in terms of altering how our government is supposed to fundamentally function to protect our people.

“The power of the majority is with you, my Republican colleagues. Together, together we have the power to right the balance, to reclaim the authority we thought was inherent in our jobs, and in the process save our country.

“At a prior time of crisis, Abraham Lincoln defined the stakes for each of us, “Fellow-citizens, we cannot escape history. We, of this Congress, and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass, will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest generation.

“Now is the time to establish a redline—the Constitution itself.”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025

Category: Economy

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

Technical competence

DOGE email servers

Lacking management controls

Mitigating the damage

Share this page

Updates to this page

Stakeholder reaction

Notes to editors

Share this page

Updates to this page

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS

Cantwell Tells Trade Nominee to Focus on Opening More Export Markets, Not a Tariff-First Approach

“The biggest task at hand is to […] get U.S. products into more places,” Cantwell tells Trump’s pick for U.S. Trade Representative; In fallout of Trump’s tariff threats, Cantwell paints a clear path forward: Instead of imposing tariffs, we need to open new markets;

Cantwell Letter to Duffy: ‘You Must Make Sure That All Conflicts Of Interest Between The FAA & Elon Musk Are Removed’

In letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Cantwell urges admin to protect flying public from Elon Musk’s clear conflicts of interest; Cantwell: “We have ethics and recusal laws for a reason – to prevent corporate interference in protecting the public interest.”

IMF Communications Department

MEDIA RELATIONS