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Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why financial hardship is more likely if you’re disabled or sick

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By William E. Donald, Associate Professor of Sustainable Careers and Human Resource Management, University of Southampton

    Scharfsinn/Shutterstock

    If you have a long-term health condition or you’re a disabled person in the UK, you might be able to claim a benefit called personal independence payment (Pip). As the name suggests, Pip is designed to help with the additional costs of disability – regardless of employment status.

    But the government recently announced changes to the payment, which will make it harder for people to access support.

    As a disabled person, I know that it costs more to live with disability or illness. It has been calculated that disabled households need an extra £1,010 per month to maintain the same standard of living as non-disabled households. This gap arises from things like transport costs (because of inaccessible public transport), the need for expensive mobility aids, and water, electric and gas costs at home.

    The World Health Organization recommends a minimum indoor temperature of 18°C for healthy people and 20°C for those with chronic conditions. Yet, with soaring energy prices, many disabled people are forced to choose between heating their homes and other disability-related necessities.

    Despite these realities, the maximum annual Pip payment is £9,747.40, well below the additional £12,120 that disabled households typically need annually. Only those qualifying for the highest level of support receive this amount. Most get considerably less.

    So, what is the government’s justification for tightening eligibility? Together with changes to universal credit, it claims it will save £5 billion a year by the end of 2030 and get more people, including sick and disabled people, into work. But will it?

    Government figures from March 2024 show that 24% of people in the UK aged 16 to 64 are disabled. Within this group, the employment rate is 54.2%. For comparison, non-disabled adults of working age have an employment rate of 82%. Even when disabled people are employed, the disability pay gap is 12.7%. This gap reaches 27.9% for autistic workers and 26.9% for those with epilepsy.

    The same figures also show that 42.6% of disabled people are economically inactive. This is sometimes portrayed as people who are capable of working but choose not to. But this does not align with the facts.

    The latest figures on Pip claims show that last year the rate of fraud was so low that the Department for Work and Pensions recorded it as 0%.

    Anyone like me, who has experienced the lengthy and complicated Pip application process, will find these figures unsurprising. Cutting access to Pip will not push this group into employment but will plunge them deeper into financial hardship.

    The Resolution Foundation think tank estimates that up to 1.2 million disabled people could lose between £4,200 and £6,300 per year by 2029-30 due to these changes.

    The government is particularly focused on claimants with mental health conditions, especially younger people. As such, it is crucial to acknowledge the dire state of mental health services in the UK.

    Patients are waiting far longer for mental health treatment than for physical healthcare.
    chayanuphol/Shutterstock

    Eight times as many people wait more than 18 months for mental health treatment compared to physical healthcare.

    This crisis is compounded by broader challenges facing young people, who were disproportionately affected by COVID lockdowns. Three in four university students and recent graduates reported lower levels of wellbeing in September 2021 compared to pre-pandemic levels. These same young people face a competitive labour market, alongside soaring rent, energy and food costs.

    Noble goal but a harmful method

    Nevertheless, supporting disabled people and the long-term sick to access employment is a worthy goal. Government figures suggest 5.6% of disabled people are unemployed. Many of these people want to work. This is also true of many in the economically inactive group who simply cannot.

    The record £1 billion employment support measures announced in chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spring statement to help the disabled and long-term sick into work is obviously welcome.

    But we have to be realistic. Previous government schemes resulted in fewer than one in five people getting work. This highlights the systemic barriers that disabled people face in work beyond their agency. The new approach raises concerns that people might be pressured into unsuitable jobs simply to reduce unemployment figures.

    Even when disabled people find employment, they continue to face discrimination and workplace biases. The legal system places the burden on individuals to challenge unfair treatment and the disability wage gap just exacerbates inequalities.

    While remote work has been a game-changer for many disabled workers, the previous government pressured its own workforce of civil servants back into offices. Many business leaders continue to advocate for the same.

    Cutting Pip will not necessarily reduce the welfare bill. But it will drive more disabled people into poverty. Those with savings will exhaust them, ultimately qualifying for even more means-tested government assistance.

    Others will be priced out of work entirely. Many may end up needing more support from public services like the NHS, as their mental and physical health deteriorates. This means the claim of saving £5 billion a year is also likely flawed.

    So, what needs to change? Here are five ideas.

    1. Reverse Pip cuts and restrictive eligibility criteria. The government must listen to disability charities and ensure that financial support reflects the true cost of living with a disability.

    2. Hold employers accountable. Systemic barriers such as bias in the recruitment process must be removed, the disability pay gap addressed and remote work established as a long-term option.

    3. Increase disabled representation in decision-making. Disabled people must have a seat at the table in government and industry to ensure policies reflect real experiences.

    4. Integrate healthcare and social care. Linked to this, ensure essential utilities such as water, gas and electricity are always affordable for disabled and elderly people – perhaps via a government-backed special tariff.

    5. Pay carers fairly. Carer’s allowance is £83.30 per week for a minimum of 35 hours of care, just £2.38 per hour. This just exacerbates financial insecurity for disabled households.

    If these failures are not addressed, the consequences will be catastrophic. The government’s approach is making life harder, not easier, for disabled people. It is time for real action, not rhetoric and infantilising talk of “pocket money”. Disabled people deserve better. We all do.

    William E. Donald does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Why financial hardship is more likely if you’re disabled or sick – https://theconversation.com/why-financial-hardship-is-more-likely-if-youre-disabled-or-sick-253877

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump tariff backflip brings a US trade war with China into the crosshairs

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    You have to marvel at Donald Trump’s prescience. After his announcement of America’s new tariffs regime on April 2, “liberation day”, the stock markets plummeted, causing faint hearts around the world to quail. Nerves fluttered particularly hard when bond yields started to rise rapidly this week, suggesting a growing lack of confidence in US 30-year debt – traditionally the gold standard for security.

    “I don’t want anything to go down,” Trump told a reporter at the weekend. “But sometimes, you have to take medicine to fix something.”

    The US president remained bullish on Wednesday morning, taking to his TruthSocial social media platform at 9.37am EDT to proclaim his confidence in US stocks.

    Sound advice, as it turned out (time shown is BST).
    TruthSocial

    And so it proved. Hours later, Trump announced to his followers that he had decided to pause the tariff hikes on all but China while keeping the 10% baseline tariff on all imports. The markets bounced back with alacrity, closing up 9.5% by the end of trading. (Incidentally, Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of TruthSocial, closed up 22.67%.)

    It just goes to show, faith may or may not be able to move mountains, but Donald Trump can certainly move markets.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    Now it’s all eyes on China to see how the world’s second-largest economy will react to a yet-higher tariff on its exports to the US of 145%.

    Announcing to the world he was targeting China, the US president wrote that he was basing his decision on the “lack of respect that China has shown to the World’s Markets”, and that “hopefully in the near future, China will realize that the days of ripping off the U.S.A., and other Countries, is no longer sustainable or acceptable”.

    But based on Beijing’s initial reaction, it’s unlikely that Xi Jinping will be joining all the other world leaders who Trump says queued up over the past couple of days to “kiss his ass”. The messages from China’s leadership are that two can play at that game, and that Trump’s gambit “will end in failure”.

    China had imposed an immediate 84% tariff on all US exports, while reassuring the White House that the “the door to dialogue is open”.

    China expert Tom Harper of the University of East London believes Xi is now a different, more confident Chinese president than the one who granted some small concessions to Trump when he first imposed tariffs on China in 2017. Harper sees the likelihood of a “tumultuous period ahead for relations between China and the US” – and warns that the Chinese people may be more resilient to the economic shock a trade war brings than the US public.

    Looking back at what China considers a period of humiliation at the hands of western powers (notably Great Britain) in the 19th century, Harper says there’s a strong sense of “never again” in the Chinese psyche, which may well be triggered by this latest US aggression.



    Read more:
    What the spiralling trade war means for relations between the US and China

    But why roll back on the tariffs on the rest of the world? Australian economists James Giesecke and Robert Waschik believe the answer is simple: the harm that would have been done to the US economy. Their modelling suggests that “the US would have faced steep and immediate losses in employment, investment, growth and, most importantly, real consumption, the best measure of household living standards”.

    Giesecke and Waschik conclude the damage would have been serious and long term, increasing US unemployment by two-thirds and reducing US long-term GDP, resulting in a “permanent reduction in US global economic power”.



    Read more:
    This chart explains why Trump backflipped on tariffs. The economic damage would have been huge

    The aim of the Trump administration in introducing tariffs is to stimulate a return of manufacturing to the US – which is why they applied them to goods only while ignoring services. James Scott of King’s College London believes a lot of countries fetishise manufacturing as a sort of deeply ingrained throwback to when “pre-historic experiences of finding food, fuel and shelter dominated all other activities”.

    But most western economies have developed beyond heavy goods manufacturing, for the simple reason that countries with larger and lower-paid workforces are able to produce and ship goods at a fraction of the cost. Tik-Tok user Ben Lau posted this disturbingly funny vision of the return of large-scale manufacturing to the US.

    Scott believes it’s highly unlikely to come to this – and in any case, that it’s pointless to blame globalisation for the loss of US manufacturing jobs when rising productivity in other countries and automation have had much more impact.

    The lesson from history, writes Scott, is that with the retreat of colonialism came the industrialisation of the countries that had been major markets for manufactured goods produced by the western powers. In short, he concludes: “President Trump is mistaken if he really believes that tariffs will bring a new golden age of manufacturing. The world has changed.”



    Read more:
    Trump thinks tariffs can bring back the glory days of US manufacturing. Here’s why he’s wrong

    The diplomatic front

    Iran has had a rough 18 months or so. Its economy is on the floor thanks to western sanctions, the “real” currency rate (the rate you get on the street) is now close to 1 million rials to the US dollar, and large sections of the population are very unhappy with their leadership.

    So, when Iran’s foreign minister arrives in Oman for talks with the US at the weekend, there’s plenty of incentive to strike some kind of deal – even without the US president’s warning that Iran will be in “great danger” if the negotiations fail to deliver an agreement for Tehran to scrap its nuclear programme.

    Ali Bilgic, a Middle East specialist at Loughborough University, writes that while both sides have their reasons for wanting progress at the talks, things are likely to be hampered by a lack of trust on both sides. And it’s no coincidence that while Trump announced the talks after a meeting with Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Iranian deputy foreign minister travelled to Moscow this week, where he met his counterparts from China and Russia. With hardliners currently in the ascendancy in Tehran and the Trump-Netanyahu axis very much in evidence in Washington, a lot could go wrong.



    Read more:
    Iran and US to enter high-stakes nuclear negotiations – hampered by a lack of trust

    America’s other allies, Nato, gathered in Brussels at the end of last week for a foreign ministers meeting ahead of June’s summit at The Hague. As Amelia Hadfield – a defence and security policy expert at the University of Surrey – reports, there’s a growing air of urgency among the allies that they need to find a way to avoid a unilateral withdrawal of the US from the alliance, and that they’ll need at least some answers before meeting at The Hague.

    Hadfield walks us through the gradual but growing distance between Washington and the rest of the alliance, which has come to a head under Trump but has been some years in the making.



    Read more:
    Why Nato is struggling to rebuild itself in an increasingly threatening world

    Cry, the beloved country

    Since the incoming Trump administration announced it was freezing most USAID programmes as of January 20 for at least 90 days, vital lifelines keeping many thousands, if not millions, of desperate people in the poorest countries around the world have been cut off.

    One such country is Sudan, where a bitter and bloody civil war has raged for two years, leading to the situation being described by the United Nations as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

    Naomi Ruth Pendle, an expert in humanitarian development at the University of Bath, works closely with aid workers in South Kordofan, a region on the border with South Sudan which is collapsing under the weight of refugees from the civil war – and which faces a bitter famine unless the aid freeze is lifted immediately.

    Her moving account of the plight of the Sudanese people is made more vivid by accounts provided by people working on the ground in South Kordofan, where the aid freeze couldn’t have come at a worse time. January, when the freeze was announced, is usually the best time to increase the flow of humanitarian aid in the region – as the supplies from last year’s harvest begin to dwindle, and just before the rains make roads impassable.

    Pendle writes: “I’m now getting reports from South Kordofan of households not lighting a fire for up to four days at a time, which means the family is not eating. And, as ever, it is the children and the elderly who are particularly vulnerable.”



    Read more:
    USAID: the human cost of Donald Trump’s aid freeze for a war-torn part of Sudan

    I spent a happy year living in Khartoum in the mid-1980s teaching English at the university there. During that time, I was able to travel widely around Sudan and developed an enduring affection for the people and respect for their resilience and ingenuity in the face of often terrible hardships.

    So I found Justin Willis’s account of the decades of conflict that have riven Sudan particularly compelling. Willis, a professor of history at Durham University, looks back through the country’s history – from its foundation through conquest in the 19th century by the Egyptian branch of the Ottoman empire, via British control, to independence. And after independence, pretty much non-stop wars.

    Willis believes that Sudan’s main problem is that its army commanders have always believed they are the natural rulers of the country. The current conflict is between two rival army commanders and their followers.

    The official army, the Sudanese Armed Forces, recaptured Khartoum at the end of March. There have been reports of savage violence against civilians in the fortnight since. Meanwhile, the rival Rapid Support Forces continue to murder with seeming impunity in Darfur in western Sudan – where I once spent an unforgettable week trekking in the extinct volcano, Jebel Marra.



    Read more:
    Sudan civil war: despite appearances this is not a failed state – yet

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Trump tariff backflip brings a US trade war with China into the crosshairs – https://theconversation.com/trump-tariff-backflip-brings-a-us-trade-war-with-china-into-the-crosshairs-254326

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Dina Titus Joins Legislation to Combat Organized Retail Theft

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

    Congresswoman Dina Titus (NV-1) joined Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) today in introducing the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to target the rise in theft, fraud, and other organized crimes against retail stores and various components of the supply chain across America. This bipartisan, bicameral bill establishes a coordinated multi-agency response and creates new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail theft to combat these criminal operations.

    “By establishing a coordinated federal response, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act would target the criminals who endanger consumers, local businesses, and transportation networks, along with the nefarious transnational groups that fund their operations,” said Congresswoman Titus. “This legislation will help law enforcement better pursue and prosecute these bad actors, while protecting businesses and saving consumer dollars.’

    “Businesses throughout my district are facing the burdens of a rise in organized retail crimes and fraud schemes that are sweeping the nation,” said Congressman Joyce. “These criminal organizations are not only harming small businesses and retailers in our communities, but are also putting American consumers at risk of violence and fraud. These crimes also have more widespread consequences for public safety, as these organized groups often resell stolen goods to finance other illicit activities, including drug and human trafficking operations. Our bipartisan, bicameral legislation will give law enforcement the tools they need to put a stop to these rampant crimes.”

    Congresswoman Titus joined six other members of the House in co-leading the legislation. Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).

    The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act is supported by the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the Major County Sheriffs of America, Home Depot, UPS, the Intermodal Association of North America, the Association of American Railroads, the International Council of Shopping Centers,  the American Trucking Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Reusable Packaging Association, DHL, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Foundation, the Transportation Intermediaries Association, the PASS (Protect America’s Small Sellers) Coalition, the International Downtown Association, Amazon, the World Shipping Council, Pirate Ship, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Walgreens Co., CVS Health, Kroger, Walmart, and Target.

    Background

    The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act would establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center within Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This Coordination Center will allow increased collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, along with retail crime associations and subject matter experts, to create a cohesive strategy to combat these crimes and share valuable resources.

    According to the National Retail Federation, retail larceny incidents increased by 93 percent from 2019 to 2023, including a 90 percent increase in actual dollar loss. Stores lost $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023, compared to $93.9 billion in 2021, $61.7 billion in 2019, and $46.8 billion in 2017. In 2023, 84 percent of retailers reported that violence and aggression were a greater concern than in 2022. At the same time, product manufacturers and the supply chain are experiencing a rise in organized cargo theft across rails, roads, and the various distribution points across the United States. CargoNet reported a 27 percent increase in cargo theft incidents in 2024 over 2023. These crimes are often orchestrated by organized groups that resell stolen goods through physical and online marketplaces, further fueling illicit profits and financing additional criminal enterprises. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act seeks to address these challenges by enhancing legal frameworks, improving enforcement capabilities, and fostering coordination across federal, state, and local agencies. The legislation responds to the limitations of state-level efforts, which struggle with resource constraints and the interstate and international nature of organized retail and supply chain crime, and it aims to safeguard commerce, consumer confidence, and national security.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Castro Introduces the Postal Service Clusterbox Responsibility Act to Ensure Safe and Secure Mail Delivery

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    April 10, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Castro (TX-20) introduced the Postal Service Clusterbox Responsibility Act – legislation that would ensure USPS continues maintaining cluster boxes for eligible neighborhoods. 

    The legislation comes after the USPS abandoned their longstanding practice of maintaining and repairing damaged clusterboxes for neighborhoods in San Antonio and across the United States. As a result, many constituents – including seniors and people with disabilities – are forced to make inconvenient and lengthy trips to retrieve essential mail, such as Social Security checks and medications from their local post office.  

    “Texas families rely on USPS for everything from paychecks to holiday cheer. No matter your zip code, all folks deserve a reliable and safe mail system,” said Congressman Castro. “Residents should not suddenly bear the cost of maintaining clusterboxes. My legislation will put power back into the hands of residents and ensure that USPS fulfills its decades-long commitment to take care of this vital public service.” 

    Background:  

    The Postal Service Clusterbox Responsibility Act directs the USPS to continue maintaining clusterboxes that it has historically maintained for at least 20 years. The bill establishes a process for neighborhoods to submit information to USPS to confirm their responsibility for maintenance. The legislation also creates a dedicated Clusterbox Unit Maintenance Fund to ensure financial resources are available to carry out its obligations.  

    In September 2024, Congressman Castro led a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy expressing bipartisan concerns about recent changes to USPS policy that damaged public faith in the reliability of the service.  

    In October 2023, Castro released a letter demanding answers and accountability from USPS after USPS suddenly ended a longstanding policy of maintaining the cluster boxes that San Antonio residents rely on for safe and secure mail delivery.   

    Congressman Castro is committed to protecting federal mail operations. San Antonio neighborhoods who are facing issues with mail delivery are encouraged to get in touch with his office by calling 210-348-8216. 

    The full text of the Postal Service Clusterbox Responsibility Act can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley Statement on House Passage of the Republican Budget Resolution

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement on her vote against the House Republican budget resolution (H.Con.Res.14).

    “My Republican colleagues should be ashamed for advancing such a self-serving budget that continues to prioritize the interests of billionaires and big corporations over hard-working American families. This budget is not a serious plan for our nation’s future nor a responsible framework for government spending. It is a reckless giveaway to the ultra-wealthy that guts vital programs that millions of Americans rely on to survive.

    “Rather than providing relief to struggling families, Republicans are handing out an average tax cut of over $300,000 to the wealthiest one percent – all while pushing the costs of these tax breaks onto everyone else and plunging millions of Americans into financial hardship. This budget isn’t just fiscally irresponsible – it is an economic disaster.

    “So-called ‘fiscal conservatives’ would add $7 trillion to the national debt to pay for these tax breaks for the rich, while mortgaging our children’s future and raising costs for everyday Americans. This is an outright betrayal of working families and future generations.

    “And how do Republicans justify this scheme? By defunding Medicaid. By defunding food programs that feed 15 million children. By gutting the VA. And by cutting funding for public schools and special education programs.

    “The Republican budget is an all-out attack on the very people who keep this country running – working families, seniors, veterans, and children. While Americans face record-high inflation and rising costs, Republicans have done nothing – absolutely nothing – to ease the pain or address the escalating economic crisis. In fact, they are actively making things worse by blindly backing Trump’s disastrous tariffs and dragging our economy toward a recession.

    “This budget is the largest tax hike on working Americans in 50 years and will cost the average household $3,800 a year.

    “That is why I voted no. House Democrats are working for the American people, and I will continue fighting to protect the interests of hard-working families across this country.”

    ###

    Issues: 119th Congress

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Read More (Steube, Lankford Reintroduce the Safeguarding Charity Act)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Greg Steube (FL-17)

    April 10, 2025 | Press ReleasesLegislation Protects the Independence of Our Nation’s Nonprofit Organizations
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) today introduced the Safeguarding Charity Act to clarify that tax-exempt organizations should not be treated as recipients of federal financial assistance. The legislation protects tax-exempt organizations from a perilous line of litigation in federal courts that could subject every church, nonprofit, and private school in America to burdensome federal regulations.“Radical judges do not have the authority to twist federal law and force religious institutions to choose between their convictions and compliance,” said Rep. Steube. “The Safeguarding Charity Actreaffirms that tax-exempt status does not mean an organization is receiving federal financial assistance. This bill is about protecting churches, religious schools, and charities from federal overreach. I’m grateful to Senator Lankford for his leadership on this important effort in the Senate.”U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.“Tax-exempt organizations should not live in fear of federal control every day because courts want to redefine the meaning of tax-exempt status. Tax-exempt status is not the same as receiving federal funding, and it should not be used as political leverage against the nonprofits that feed, clothe, house, and counsel those in need in Oklahoma and across the nation,” said Senator Lankford. “We should be focused on enabling the work of these organizations—not burdening them with unnecessary and costly federal requirements.”Supporting organizations include: Alliance Defending Freedom, Philanthropy Roundtable, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Agudath Israel of America, Seventh-day Adventist Church, American Association of Christian Schools,Association for Biblical Higher Education, Association of Christian Schools International, Family Research Council, Citygate Network, Christian Employers Alliance, and National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.Alliance Defending Freedom“Charities and other nonprofits provide invaluable services to their communities. In part to recognize their critical work, nonprofits are tax-exempt so that they can devote scarce resources to serving those in need. Until recently, no one really thought that their tax-exempt status was the sort of “federal financial assistance” that triggered the application of several burdensome federal statutes and regulations. But some courts have embraced this unfounded view, and Congress needs to set things straight. Let’s be clear: a nonprofit’s tax-exempt status should not be considered government funding and thus should not trigger multiple burdensome federal laws under which charities and other nonprofits could lose their tax-exempt status. ADF commends Sen. Lankford and Rep. Steube for introducing the Safeguarding Charity Act to protect nonprofits from these financially crushing burdens so that nonprofits can continue to serve their communities free from unfair and unexpected government overreach.” – Greg Baylor, ADF Senior Counsel Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission“The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) strongly supports the Safeguarding Charity Act, which provides essential clarification that tax-exempt status is not equivalent to receiving federal financial assistance. Recent court decisions have wrongly conflated these two ideas, endangering vital religious liberty protections and subjecting churches and faith-based nonprofits to harmful, undue federal regulations. The ERLC urges Congress to uphold this longstanding precedent and protect religious organizations’ freedom to operate in accordance with their faith, free from government interference.” – Brent Leatherwood, ERLC President.Association of Christian Schools International“ACSI commends Senator Lankford and Congressman Steube for their leadership in introducing the Safeguarding Charity Act. This legislation is critical to set the record straight: an organization’s non-profit status is not the receipt of federal financial assistance. It never has been. It is not now. Politically motivated lawsuits based on this false premise must stop, or else all non-profits will be at risk. We urge every member of Congress to support the Safeguarding Charity Act.” – P. George Tryfiates, VP for Public Policy and Legal Affairs at the Association of Chrisitan Schools International.Agudath Israel of America“Agudath Israel of America is pleased to support the ‘Safeguarding Charity Act (SCA),’ introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Representative Greg Steube (R-FL). This legislation is vitally important to nonprofits across the country, including synagogues, religious schools and charities within the Jewish community.  It will enshrine into law that which has generally been understood that ‘tax-exempt status’ does not constitute ‘federal financial assistance.’” – Rabbi Abba Cohen, VP for Government Affairs of Agudath Israel of America
    Read full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman Lisa McClain’s Statement on the U.S. House Taking the Next Step in the Reconciliation Process

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    Chairwoman Lisa McClain’s Statement on the U.S. House Taking the Next Step in the Reconciliation Process

    Washington, April 10, 2025

    WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives voted on the next step of the budget reconciliation process – instructing our committees to begin drafting the one big, beautiful bill:

    “The President was clear: we need to move forward with our agenda. We will start drafting our bill that delivers historic savings while protecting essential programs,” Chairwoman McClain said. “House Republicans promised the American people that we would prevent the largest tax hike in history, unleash America’s energy production, secure the border, and get our economy back on track. Today, we are continuing to keep that promise.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: William Connelly, future Societe Generale chairman of the board of directors, starting May 2026

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WILLIAM CONNELLY, FUTURE SOCIETE GENERALE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, STARTING MAY 2026 

    Press release
    Paris, 10 April 2025

    During its session on 10 April 2025, the Societe Generale Board of Directors selected William Connelly for the Chairmanship as of the General Meeting which will be held on 27 May 2026, subject to his renewal as a Director by the General Meeting on 20 May 2025. He will succeed Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, who has been Chairman since 2015, and will have completed his third term.

    This decision is the result of a selection process led by the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee at the end of 2023 with the assistance of an independent consultant.

    William Connelly has been a member of Societe Generale’s Board of Directors since 2017. He has chaired the Risk Committee since 2019 and is a member of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, positions he will hold until the 2026 General Meeting.

    Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Chairman of the Board of Directors, stated: “The choice of William Connelly as my successor confirms Societe Generale’s commitment to the highest standards of governance, both in terms of method and substance. It ensures the independence of the role as well as its continuity, while bringing the highest level of expertise in the international banking and financial sector, along with experience in managing large companies, particularly in the technology sector.”

    Biography
     William Connelly is a company director. In addition to his mandate as an independent director of Societe Generale since 2017, he currently is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Amadeus IT Group and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aegon until the second half of 2025. He also served as an independent director of Singular Bank from February 2019 to April 2023.

    William Connelly began his career in 1980 at Chase Manhattan Bank, where he worked for 10 years, before joining Baring Brothers from 1990 to 1995. He then held various executive positions within ING Group NV from 1995 until he became a member of The Management Board, where he was responsible for Wholesale Banking from 2011 to 2016. He was also the CEO of ING Real Estate from 2009 to 2015. He has gained extensive experience in financial services, particularly in corporate finance, financial markets, real estate, and lending.

    William Connelly is a French citizen. He graduated with a degree in Economics from Georgetown University.

    Press contact:
    Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ jean-baptiste.froville@socgen.com


    Societe Generale
    Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with around 119,000 employees serving more than 26 million clients in 62 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective – to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders.

    The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients:

    • French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance, with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank.
    • Global Banking and Investor Solutions, a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG.
    • Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities.

    Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe).

    In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of the Group News page on societegenerale.com website where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the document’s legitimacy directly on the web page.

    For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SBM Offshore signs a US$1.1 billion Revolving Credit Facility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Amsterdam, April 10, 2025

    SBM Offshore announces that it has signed a US$1.1 billion unsecured Revolving Credit Facility (RCF) with a group of 13 international banks to refinance its existing US$1.0 billion RCF which was due to expire in February 2026. The new RCF has a tenor of five years and two one-year extension options as well as an uncommitted option to increase the facility by an additional US$500 million.

    The RCF is an important pillar of the Company’s financing strategy and can be used to finance general corporate purposes and working capital needs during the construction of floating production solutions. Eligible green projects can be funded under a specific green tranche of US$100 million.

    The successful syndication of the increased RCF reflects the strong support SBM Offshore continues to receive from financial institutions across the globe.

    Corporate Profile

    SBM Offshore is the world’s deepwater ocean-infrastructure expert. Through the design, construction, installation, and operation of offshore floating facilities, we play a pivotal role in a just transition. By advancing our core, we deliver cleaner, more efficient energy production. By pioneering more, we unlock new markets within the blue economy. 
    More than 7,800 SBMers collaborate worldwide to deliver innovative solutions as a responsible partner towards a sustainable future, balancing ocean protection with progress.
    For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com.

    Financial Calendar   Date Year
    First Quarter 2025 Trading Update   May 15 2025
    Half Year 2025 Earnings   August 7 2025
    Third Quarter 2025 Trading Update   November 13 2025
    Full Year 2025 Earnings   February 26 2026
    Annual General Meeting   April 15 2026

    For further information, please contact:

    Investor Relations

    Wouter Holties
    Corporate Finance & Investor Relations Manager

    Media Relations

    Giampaolo Arghittu
    Head of External Relations

    Market Abuse Regulation

    This press release may contain inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation.

    Disclaimer

    Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. These statements may be identified by words such as ‘expect’, ‘should’, ‘could’, ‘shall’ and / or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The principal risks which could affect the future operations of SBM Offshore N.V. are described in the ‘Impacts, Risks and Opportunities’ section of the 2024 Annual Report.

    Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and performance of the Company’s business may vary materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements described in this release. SBM Offshore does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise.

    This release contains certain alternative performance measures (APMs) as defined by the ESMA guidelines which are not defined under IFRS. Further information on these APMs is included in the 2024 Annual Report, available on our website Annual Reports – SBM Offshore.

    Nothing in this release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release “SBM Offshore” and “SBM” are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies.

    “SBM Offshore®“, the SBM logomark, “Fast4Ward®”, “emissionZERO®” and “F4W®” are proprietary marks owned by SBM Offshore.

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: First Federal Savings Bank Awarded $27,500 in Funds to Habitat for Humanity Through FHLBank Indianapolis Grant Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVANSVILLE, Ind., April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Federal Savings Bank, a member bank of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis (FHLBank Indianapolis), awarded Habitat for Humanity $27,500 in grant funds through the Community Multiplier – Member Match Program.

    A press conference and check presentation ceremony were hosted on Wednesday, April 9 at 3:30 PM CST at First Federal Savings Bank’s corporate headquarters located at 5001 Davis Lant Drive Evansville, IN 47715.

    The $27,500 grant will support Habitat for Humanity’s educational assistance programs for current and prospective homeowners.

    “We are proud to partner with Habitat for Humanity in support of their educational assistance programs for current and prospective homeowners,” said Courtney Schmitt, VP, Marketing Manager at First Federal Savings Bank. “Homeownership is a cornerstone of financial stability, and by investing in these programs, we are helping individuals and families build stronger, more secure futures. This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to empowering communities through financial education and support.”

    Beth Folz, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Evansville stated “We were excited to hear from First Federal Savings Bank that we had been selected to receive this wonderful grant from the Community Multiplier program. We are thrilled for the future Habitat homeowners who will be impacted by the financial education programs that we can offer due to this tremendous support.”

    The Community Multiplier – Member Match program is FHLBank Indianapolis’ newest program offering, designed to support targeted affordable housing initiatives that fall outside of FHLBank Indianapolis’ other grant programs.   Community Multiplier offers grants between $25,000 and $125,000 for non-profit organizations headquartered in Indiana or Michigan who partner with an FHLBank Indianapolis member financial institution on targeted affordable housing initiatives. With a 10% matching funds commitment from the member financial institution, FHLBank Indianapolis is providing grants between $25,000 and $125,000. The program opened March 27, 2025 with a $5 million allocation and is available until October 1, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.

    About First Federal Savings Bank Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

    First Federal Savings Bank was established on Evansville, Indiana’s Westside in 1904. A community bank offering eight locations in Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick, and Henderson County. First Federal Savings Bank is also proud to offer Home Building Savings Bank locations in Daviess and Pike County.

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis: Building Partnerships. Serving Communities.

    FHLBank Indianapolis is a regional bank included in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. FHLBanks are government-sponsored enterprises created by Congress to ensure access to low-cost funding for their member financial institutions, with particular attention paid to providing solutions that support the housing and small business needs of members’ customers. FHLBanks are privately capitalized and funded and receive no Congressional appropriations. FHLBank Indianapolis is owned by its Indiana and Michigan financial institution members, including commercial banks, credit unions, insurance companies, savings institutions and community development financial institutions. For more information about FHLBank Indianapolis, visit www.fhlbi.com and follow the Bank on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @FHLBankIndy.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Miller Participates in Ways and Means Health Hearing on the Biosimilar Market

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) participated in a Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing to discuss how biosimilars are safe, effective, and affordable options for patients who need complex pharmaceutical products and examine the challenges and opportunities to increase patient access to these alternatives.

    Click here to watch the remarks.

    Congresswoman Miller began by highlighting how biosimilars could help reduce health care costs for West Virginians. 

     

    “The majority of my work in the health care space is focused on ensuring robust patient access to care, particularly for rural patients. In my district, the median household income is $52,742 – which makes my district one of the most financially-constrained in the country. Additionally, 1.2 million people in West Virginia have at least one chronic disease.  In a state of only 1.7 million people, that means that most West Virginians are on a tight budget already – and then also have to consider the potential high cost of managing their health. Biosimilars seem to be a great option that can help reduce patient costs, but it appears from your testimonies that we have some work to do to make sure patients and providers are educated on biosimilar options, and insurers are putting these drugs onto their formularies.”

     

    Congresswoman Miller asked Dr. Debra Patt, MD, President, Community Oncology Alliance, about the increase in exposure to biosimilars. 

     

    “The medical community is well versed in comparison to a decade ago regarding biosimilars and I’d mentioned earlier, but I think that conversation has gotten a lot easier. Though, there are other barriers that that we face. For example, if I have a patient that’s on Trastuzumab or Herceptin to treat metastatic breast cancer, and I talk to them about switching to a biosimilar product, the insurance company and the pharmacy benefit manager will prioritize a specific biosimilar that we’re underwater on, meaning that our costs exceed our reimbursement. That doesn’t we’re not able to pick that choice because of viability. So yes, I think there’s a role in education, but there are other barriers that I think lead to suboptimal utilization. Between the patient and the insurance company, there needs to be better communication,” said Dr. Patt.

     
    Congresswoman Miller asked Dr. Colin Edgerton, MD, Director, Articularis Healthcare Group, what are the most common questions patients ask when considering switching to a biosimilar.

     

    “Typically, patients are most interested in the potential side effects of the drug. There can be consternation if they’re on one particular agent and they’re considering switching, or their insurance plan is maintaining a switch. So those are generally the topics of conversation when it comes to price. I don’t think there’s the understanding of how access can improve as these costs come down, and that is something I enjoy, opening that conversation with them and explaining that. But as we’ve said, a lot of that opportunity has been squandered because the formulary construction is not allowing patients access to the biosimilars, and when the Biosimilars are favored on a formulary, the economics now are upside down, because, as Dr. Pratt had mentioned, with Back Door rebates, moving from the manufacturer to the pharmacy benefit manager, now the cost of the drug is actually higher than the reimbursement,” said Dr. Edgerton.
     
    Congresswoman Miller highlighted how in the Inflation Reduction Act complicated biosimilar development and asked Craig Burton, Executive Director, Biosimilars Council, how consistent lawmaking will improve the biosimilar marketplace.

     

    “For biosimilar manufacture, if you’re thinking about investing $300 million in a new in a new, lower cost product, you need predictability. You need to know that that market is going to be there 10 years from now, when you get to the end of that race. That means you need to know what you need to be able to guess what the market size is going to look like. It also means you need to know you’re going to get adoption. So not only do biosimilars face all the issues we’ve discussed today, but the IRA puts in place what I think was a well-intended approach that will harm biosimilar adoption,” said Mr. Burton.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Joins Mfume, Maryland Congressional Delegation Members to Demand Answers on Tariff Impact on Port of Baltimore

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – This week, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined a letter led by U.S. Representative Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) alongside U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks (both D-MD) and Representatives Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Johnny Olszewski (MD-02) calling on the Administration to detail the repercussions of newly announced tariffs on the Port of Baltimore. This letter, sent to United States Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, raises the lawmakers’ concerns regarding the latest announcement on tariffs, the costs for the American consumer, and the potential shock wave to major ports, industries, and workforces.

    “The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s most vital hubs for commerce, and it plays a crucial role in national supply chains,” said the lawmakers.

    “We are especially concerned about the latest announcement on tariffs considering the economic consequences for the American consumer. These tariffs effectively serve as a sales tax on consumers, placing the burden of revenue raising on American families. While White House trade adviser Peter Navarro stated recently that these tariffs are expected to raise about $600 billion a year in revenue, economists have clarified that the impact to consumers on spending will significantly reduce these revenue estimates. Instead, experts indicate these tariffs will raise prices for already-struggling consumers, trigger layoffs in industries with customers who rely on imports, and plunge our nation into a recession,” the lawmakers continued.

    The Members also emphasized the resiliency of the Port of Baltimore after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in their letter and its ability to retain its standing as the nation’s top-ranked port for wheeled farm and construction machinery and the second most utilized port for importing cars in 2024.

    Considering the importance of the Port of Baltimore’s function in the local, state, national, and global economies, the lawmakers requested a response from Secretary Lutnick to the following inquiries within the next 14 days:

    1. What mechanism is the Department of Commerce utilizing to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the tariffs issued under the Executive Order?
       
    2. What efforts will the Department of Commerce take to track how these tariffs impact everyday costs for the American consumer, and national and local economies?
       
    3. What are the long-term implications of these tariffs on our nation’s major ports, and on our national supply chains?
       
    4. How, specifically, do you expect the announced tariffs will impact automobile and light vehicle imports, coal exports, and agricultural equipment imports and exports?
       
    5. Will the Administration waive tariffs on certain goods or sectors, or provide aid to impacted small businesses, impacted workers (i.e. farmers, dockworkers, etc.), and industries, in response to significant negative economic outcomes in the United States?

    Full text of the letter can be viewed here and below. 

    April 7, 2025

    The Honorable Howard Lutnick
    Secretary of Commerce
    1401 Constitution Avenue NW
    Washington, D.C. 20230

    Re: Implications of Newly Announced Tariffs on the Port of Baltimore

    Dear Secretary Lutnick:

    We write to you today to communicate our extreme concern about the implications of the recently announced tariff regime on the Port of Baltimore (the “Port”). On April 2, 2025, 
    President Trump issued an Executive Order, titled Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits (the “Executive Order”), that announced a minimum 10% tariff on all imported goods, to take effect April 5. On April 9, higher levels of “reciprocal” tariffs will be placed on goods imported from nations with which the United States has a trade deficit. This latest action comes one week after the Administration’s Executive Order titled, Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts into the United States, which announced tariffs targeted at individual industries (i.e. automobiles, steel, aluminum) and countries (i.e. Canada, Mexico, China).

    The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s most vital hubs for commerce, and it plays a crucial role in national supply chains. Last year, when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, the Port was closed for nearly two months, causing significant disruption to our economy. The state of Maryland estimates that approximately 15,000 direct jobs and 139,000 indirect jobs depend on the Port of Baltimore, generating an estimated $3.3 billion in personal revenue, $2.6 billion in business income, and more than $395 million in taxes. The local economic impact was such that the United States Small Business Administration and the United States Department of Labor responded by issuing Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Dislocated Worker Grants for businesses and workers that were directly affected by the bridge’s collapse and closure of the Port.

    Despite the collapse, Baltimore’s resiliency speaks to the Port’s ability to retain its standing as our Nation’s top ranked Port for wheeled farm and construction machinery, and reigns as the nation’s second most utilized port for importing cars in 2024. In 2024, the Port of Baltimore exported more than $2.9 billion and imported nearly $23 billion in automobiles and light trucks. Additionally, the Port exported more than $2.92 billion in coal and more than $1.1 billion in agricultural equipment and materials. Overall, the Port of Baltimore exports roughly 28% of the nation’s coal, making it the second-largest coal exporting port in the United States.

    We are especially concerned about the latest announcement on tariffs considering the economic consequences for the American consumer. These tariffs effectively serve as a sales tax on consumers, placing the burden of revenue raising on American families. While White House trade adviser Peter Navarro stated recently that these tariffs are expected to raise about $600 billion a year in revenue, economists have clarified that the impact to consumers on spending will significantly reduce these revenue estimates. Instead, experts indicate these tariffs will raise prices for already-struggling consumers, trigger layoffs in industries with customers who rely on imports, and plunge our nation into a recession. 

    Considering the Port of Baltimore’s critical importance to the economic wellbeing of the city, state, and our nation, we request a response to the following inquiries within 14 days:

    1. What mechanism is the Department of Commerce utilizing to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the tariffs issued under the Executive Order?
       
    2. What efforts will the Department of Commerce take to track how these tariffs impact everyday costs for the American consumer, and national and local economies?
       
    3. What are the long-term implications of these tariffs on our nation’s major ports, and on our national supply chains?
       
    4. How, specifically, do you expect the announced tariffs will impact automobile and light vehicle imports, coal exports, and agricultural equipment imports and exports?
       
    5. Will the Administration waive tariffs on certain goods or sectors, or provide aid to impacted small businesses, impacted workers (i.e. farmers, dockworkers, etc.), and industries, in response to significant negative economic outcomes in the United States?

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter. We look forward to your reply.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Budget Resolution in Win for America First Agenda

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

    In a major win for Kansans and President Trump’s America First agenda, Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) and House Republicans passed the budget resolution that starts the process to secure our border and extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, ensuring Kansans don’t see a tax hike in 2026. Prior to the 216 to 214 vote today, Rep. Estes delivered remarks in support of the resolution during yesterday’s debate.

    “Voting yes means voting for a secure border and economic growth,” said Rep. Estes. “By voting yes, we’re voting for a path to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. It means making economic growth provisions like research and development, the small business pass-through, interest deductibility and immediate expensing permanent parts of our tax code. A yes vote prevents the largest tax increase for Americans in history.”

    Download video of Rep. Estes’ remarks here.

    Full Remarks

    Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of advancing President Trump’s America First agenda.

    It was less than two months ago that I stood on this House floor as Republicans passed our budget resolution, putting a marker in the ground to restore and secure our country, both physically and financially.

    While I don’t think this resolution goes far enough, the resolution we’re going to pass today is a positive step forward, and it’s what Americans demanded five months ago.

    Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk directly with President Trump in the West Wing. He’s asking Republicans to support this budget resolution to move the process forward. This resolution is only one more step in the process to obtain these positive results.

    Voting yes means voting for a secure border and economic growth. By voting yes, we’re voting for a path to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent. It means making economic growth provisions like research and development, the small business pass-through, interest deductibility and immediate expensing permanent parts of our tax code. A yes vote prevents the largest tax increase for Americans in history.

    As a fiscal hawk who will continue to work with the administration to rein in reckless spending, I’m voting yes for the American people.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Armstrong meets with President Trump, thanks him for executive orders supporting coal, energy stability

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gov. Kelly Armstrong today met with President Donald Trump at the White House, thanking him for the executive orders he signed Tuesday to lift burdensome Biden-era federal restrictions on coal-fired power plants and strengthen the reliability and security of the U.S. electric grid, and urging continued support for policies that support U.S. energy dominance and enhanced oil recovery.

    “North Dakota stands ready to partner with the Trump administration to roll back regulations and reset the national narrative on dispatchable energy from coal and natural gas to ensure that all Americans have access to reliable, affordable electricity,” Armstrong said. “We appreciate President Trump’s executive orders supporting baseload electricity and a stronger, more stable electric grid to serve our citizens, grow our economy and make America energy dominant.”

    Armstrong also met with members of the state’s congressional delegation before joining Trump and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in congratulating and welcoming to the White House the North Dakota State University Bison football team, which won the national championship in January in the Football Championship Subdivision of NCAA Division I college football – the university’s 10th FCS national title in 14 seasons.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Availability of the Credit Agricole Assurances Group’s Solvency and Financial Condition Report for the financial year 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press release                                                                                                         Paris, April 8, 2025

    Availability of the Credit Agricole Assurances Group’s Solvency and Financial Condition Report for the financial year 2024

    Crédit Agricole Assurances announced today the release of its Group Solvency and Financial Condition Report (SFCR) for the financial year 2024.

    The SFCR was established in accordance with Solvency II regulations. It takes account in particular of the guidelines of the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and the notices of the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) in this matter.

    The SFCR provides an overview of insurance activities in the Solvency 2 environment. This report, together with the various annual quantitative statements (Quantitative Reporting Templates – “QRT”) attached to it, summarise and explain the activity and performance of the Crédit Agricole Assurances Group, demonstrate the appropriateness of its governance system, present its risk profile, describe how its prudential balance sheet has been valued, and assess its solvency.

    The Crédit Agricole Assurances Group’s SFCR is available on Crédit Agricole Assurances’ website at the following address: https://www.ca-assurances.com/en/investors/.

    About Crédit Agricole Assurances
    Crédit Agricole Assurances, France’s leading insurer, is Crédit Agricole group’s subsidiary, which brings together all the insurance businesses of Crédit Agricole S.A. Crédit Agricole Assurances offers a range of products and services in savings, retirement, health, personal protection and property insurance. They are distributed by Crédit Agricole’s banks in France and in 9 countries worldwide, and are aimed at individual, professional, agricultural and business customers. At the end of 2024, Crédit Agricole Assurances had more than 6,700 employees. Its 2024 premium income (non-GAAP) amounted to 43.6 billion euros.
    www.ca-assurances.com

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortunium Wealth Management Expands to Apollo Beach, Florida

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Apollo Beach, Florida, April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fortunium Wealth Management has opened a new office in Apollo Beach, Florida. The new office marks an exciting step in the firm’s mission to help individuals and businesses achieve long-term financial success. Located at 411 Apollo Beach Boulevard, Suite 100, the firm now offers financial planning, retirement strategies, and insurance solutions to clients in the Tampa Bay area.


    Fortunium Wealth Management Logo

    Helping Clients Build, Grow, and Preserve Wealth

    Founded by Joel Marius, Fortunium Wealth Management provides personalized financial services that help clients create strategies to build, grow, and preserve their wealth. The firm focuses on ethical, client-first strategies and offers solutions tailored to meet the needs of each individual and business.

    Joel Marius, Founder of Fortunium Wealth Management

    “At Fortunium, we believe financial clarity creates life freedom,” said Marius, President of Fortunium. “Our mission is to guide individuals and businesses with personalized strategies that build strong foundations, support success, and preserve legacies. This new office in Apollo Beach allows us to bring these solutions to even more people in the Tampa Bay area.” 

    Strategic Location to Serve the Tampa Bay Area

    Fortunium’s new office in Apollo Beach is part of the firm’s expansion plan and commitment to serving the growing Tampa Bay community. The region is home to many individuals and businesses that need professional financial guidance.

    Marius explained why Apollo Beach is an ideal location for Fortunium to grow: “We’re excited to bring our personalized wealth management services here. By being closer to our clients, we can offer more timely support and build stronger, lasting relationships.”

    Comprehensive Services for All Stages of Financial Life

    Fortunium Wealth Management offers various services to help individuals and businesses achieve their financial goals. The firm provides expert financial planning, helping clients create strategies for both short- and long-term goals. Whether clients plan for retirement, build portfolios, or protect their legacy, Fortunium offers solutions that meet their unique needs. 

    Additionally, the firm specializes in retirement planning, helping clients prepare for a confident and secure future. Fortunium also offers insurance solutions, including life, disability, and long-term care insurance, to help protect families and secure financial futures.

    “Financial planning is not just about numbers; it’s about creating a clear path for the future,” shared Marius. “At Fortunium, we provide the support clients need to protect what matters most and build wealth that lasts for generations.”

    Building a Legacy With Fortunium Wealth Management

    Fortunium Wealth Management is built on three core principles: building strong financial foundations, supporting ongoing success, and preserving legacies. The firm is dedicated to helping clients navigate today’s complex financial world while keeping their long-term goals in mind.

    “Helping our clients build and protect their wealth is what drives us,” Marius explained. “We want them to retire with confidence, protect their families, and leave a lasting legacy. Every client’s needs are unique, so our approach is always personalized.”

    About Fortunium Wealth Management

    Fortunium Wealth Management is a comprehensive financial services firm based in Apollo Beach, Florida, proudly serving individuals, families, and business owners across the Tampa Bay area. The company specializes in personalized financial planning, retirement strategies, insurance solutions, and business wealth management. 

    Guided by a commitment to ethics, transparency, and long-term relationships, Fortunium helps clients build tailored strategies and confidently move toward financial independence. Whether you are planning for retirement, protecting your legacy, or growing your wealth, Fortunium is here to help you thrive.

    Learn more at http://www.FortuniumWM.com or connect on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Kennedy (R-LA).  

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

    Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Reps. Young Kim (CA-40) and Summer Lee (PA-12) introduced the Fair College Admissions for Students Act, a bipartisan bill which seeks to end higher education institutions’ preferential treatment of children of alumni and donors and ensure students are admitted based on their merit, not their family connections or financial contributions. 

    The Fair College Admissions for Students Act would prohibit colleges and universities across the nation from participating in federal student aid programs if they give admissions preference to students with legacy or donor status.   

    Legacy admissions can account for up to 10 to 25 percent of available slots at elite schools, according to The Century Foundation.  

    “As a first-generation college graduate, I have seen firsthand how education unlocks new doors for students and believe all students should have the ability to achieve their American Dream. For too long, colleges and universities have admitted students based on family connections or background instead of merit. It’s past time we level the playing field,” said Rep. Young Kim. “This bill will ensure a fair college admissions process that assesses every student, regardless of background, on their merit. I will keep fighting to ensure the promise of America — where we are judged on our actions and can achieve success through hard work — remains alive for future generations.” 

    Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Kennedy (R-LA).

    “Access to higher education should be based on merit, not money and connections,” said Senator Jeff Merkley. “Our bipartisan Fair College Admissions for Students Act is a common-sense solution to help ensure fairness in college admissions by preventing donors and legacy families from using their influence to get a leg up in this complicated and highly competitive process. Discrimination exercised on behalf of students from the already best-off families is an unacceptable assault on fair opportunities for all.” 

    “Louisiana’s students work hard for an opportunity to get into their dream college. However, the practice of legacy admissions undermines good academic performance. The Fair College Admissions for Students Act would make sure that higher education institutions make decisions about who can attend their schools based on merit,” said Senator John Kennedy.

    Read the bill HERE.

    Rep. Kim has long been an advocate for promoting educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Read her July 2023 op-ed in the Hill HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: BC Transit expands bus service in Whistler

    People using transit in Whistler this spring will see improved and expanded transit options with increased frequency and extended hours of service on several bus routes.

    “People use public transit when it is reliable and affordable, when it can get them around their community to their work, school or to connect with friends and family,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Transportation and Transit. “This service expansion will keep transit services accessible and convenient for people who need them, when and where they need them.”

    To support convenient and reliable transit service for people in Whistler and surrounding communities, BC Transit and the Province are partnering with the local government to expand services in the region with an additional 6,000 annual service hours. This builds on the work done in communities throughout B.C. to provide improved transit services and connect communities.

    “Expanding transit service in Whistler is an important step toward a more connected, equitable local economy and community,” said Jeremy Valeriote, interim leader of the BC Greens and MLA for West Vancouver–Sea to Sky. “More service hours and improvements to key routes mean better access to convenient, reliable, affordable transportation, and less road congestion. I’m pleased that this expansion will continue to improve public transit options for Whistler.”

    The additional service will begin on April 22, 2025, with year-round improvements on several routes, including 21 Spring Creek, 31 Alpine and 32 Emerald. Investing in the local transit system ensures that people in Whistler and its surrounding communities have continued access to the services they rely on. The additional 6,000 hours will help to reduce seasonal fluctuations in service levels previously experienced by transit riders in the region.

    The Province has committed approximately $184 million in operating funding to BC Transit in 2025-26 to protect existing transit services and allow for targeted expansions that will benefit more people throughout B.C.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Availability of the Universal Registration Document 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Availability of the Universal Registration Document 2024

    Bezons, April 10, 2025

    Atos announces that its Universal Registration Document for the year 2024 was filed today, Thursday April 10, 2025, with the French Financial Markets Authority (“AMF”) under number D.25-0238.

    This document notably includes:

    • the 2024 annual financial report;
    • the corporate governance report;
    • the sustainability statement and the report on these information;
    • the description of the share buyback program; and
    • the reports from the statutory auditors.

    This document is available on the Atos website (https://atos.net/en/investors) as well as on the AMF website (www.amf-france.org).

    ###

    About Atos

    Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with circa 78,000 employees and annual revenue of circa €10 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 68 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea) and listed on Euronext Paris.

    The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

    Contacts

    Investor relations:

    David Pierre-Kahn | investors@atos.net | +33 6 28 51 45 96

    Sofiane El Amri | investors@atos.net | +33 6 29 34 85 67

    Individual shareholders: +33 8 05 65 00 75

    Press contact: globalprteam@atos.net

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Finstad Votes to Advance Fiscally Responsible Budget

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) issued the following statement after voting in support of the Senate’s amendment to the House-passed budget resolution:

    “By passing today’s resolution, we have opened the door for House and Senate committees to begin drafting legislation that aligns with the Trump administration’s overall goal of reducing our massive deficit,” said Rep. Finstad. “The budget blueprint that the House voted on today is the next step in advancing a fiscally responsible budget and allows us to continue our work to identify the necessary investments and savings that will ultimately put us on track to get our financial house in order.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World Court begins hearing Sudan’s ‘complicity in genocide’ case against the United Arab Emirates

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Law and Crime Prevention

    The International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday began hearing Sudan’s case against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which it accuses of being complicit in acts of genocide against the Masalit community in West Darfur by backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

    The hearings in The Hague, focus on Sudan’s request for the court – the UN’s principal judicial organ – to impose provisional measures to prevent further alleged grave human rights violations.

    Brutal civil war

    Sudan’s military Government is alleging that the UAE has been directly supporting the RSF and allied militias, which have embroiled in a brutal civil war with the national army since April 2023.

    The conflict has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, claiming tens of thousands of lives and displacing over 12.4 million people – more than 3.3 million as refugees in neighbouring countries.

    Hunger has reached catastrophic levels, with famine declared in several regions, and disease outbreaks and the collapse of essential services have left millions, especially children at extreme risk.

    The case, formally titled Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in Sudan (Sudan v. United Arab Emirates), was initiated last month, when Sudan filed an application instituting proceedings against the UAE.

    Sudan’s allegations

    Khartoum claims the RSF and its affiliates are responsible for serious human rights violations including mass killings, rape and the forced displacement of the non-Arab Masalit people in West Darfur.

    The application claims the UAE “is complicit in the genocide on the Masalit through its direction of and provision of extensive financial, political, and military support for the rebel RSF militia.”

    Pending a final judgment in the case, the court is being asked to indicate provisional measures ordering the UAE to “take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts” that could contribute to genocide.

    Additionally, Sudan is asking for the UAE to prevent any allied irregular armed units involved, directly or indirectly, from carrying out further alleged atrocities.

    The Court has the authority under Article 36(1) of the its Statute to hear and decide on disputes under international law – including international treaties and conventions – brought by one State against another, provided both have accepted the Court’s jurisdiction.

    The Convention

    The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1948, in the aftermath of the atrocities of World War II. It entered into force on 12 January 1951.

    It defines genocide as any act “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”.

    Both Sudan and the UAE are a party to the Convention, making them legally bound by its provisions.

    More to come…

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Urges Congress to Pass Federal Legislation to Regulate Cryptocurrencies

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James sent a letter to congressional leaders urging them to pass federal legislation to strengthen regulations on cryptocurrencies and digital assets. In her letter, Attorney General James warns that the lack of strong federal regulations on cryptocurrencies increases the risk of fraud, criminal activity, and financial instability. Attorney General James argues that federal regulations would bolster America’s national security, strengthen its financial markets, and protect investors from cryptocurrency scams, which now account for 10 percent of all financial fraud and 50 percent of all losses from financial fraud. To better protect cryptocurrency investors, Attorney General James urges Congress to pass legislation that would require cryptocurrency companies to make a series of commitments, including registering with a regulatory body and actively identifying and preventing fraud and scams. This letter comes after the U.S. Department of Justice announced the dismantling of federal criminal cryptocurrency fraud enforcement, making a robust regulatory framework all the more critical.

    “Countless New Yorkers invest in cryptocurrency and digital assets, and more must be done to protect them and their money,” said Attorney General James. “Thousands of investors in New York and across the country have lost millions of dollars to cryptocurrency scams and fraud that could be prevented with stronger federal regulations. I am urging Congress to pass legislation that would strengthen federal regulations on the cryptocurrency industry to protect investors, strengthen financial markets, and stop fraud.”

    In her letter, Attorney General James writes that federal regulation of cryptocurrencies is needed to protect investors from price manipulation and rigged markets, prevent fraud that drains billions of dollars from hard working Americans, and strengthen America’s national security, as digital assets may be used to anonymously finance criminal operations and fund adversarial regimes. Cryptocurrency frauds have skyrocketed as their use has grown more widespread, costing Americans an estimated $12 billion in 2024.

    To address the risks associated with some cryptocurrencies, Attorney General James asks Congress to pass legislation that would:

    • Require issuers of stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency that is typically pegged to a currency for the purpose of maintaining a stable value, to have a presence in the U.S. and be subject to regulation;
    • Require backing stablecoins with U.S. dollars or treasuries;
    • Require platforms to only conduct business with anti-money laundering compliant platforms;
    • Require issuers and intermediaries to register to ensure accountability, transparency, and basic protections to the public;
    • Protect against conflicts of interest;
    • Promote price transparency;
    • Require platforms and intermediaries to actively identify and prevent fraud and scams; and
    • Disallow digital assets in retirement accounts. 

    Attorney General James writes that with stronger federal regulations on cryptocurrencies, Congress can protect financial markets, investors, and the U.S. economy.

    Attorney General James has been a national leader in holding cryptocurrency companies accountable and protecting New York investors. In January 2025, Attorney General James became one of the first regulators to provide notice of litigation by depositing a nonfungible token (NFT) into the wallets of scammers used to steal the victims’ cryptocurrency. In June 2024, Attorney General James sued cryptocurrency trading company NovaTechFx for engaging in illegal pyramid schemes that defrauded hundreds of thousands of investors, including over 11,000 New Yorkers, of over a billion dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency. In May 2024, Attorney General James secured $2 billion for defrauded victims from the cryptocurrency company Genesis Global Capital. In December 2023, Attorney General James secured more than $22 million from KuCoin, one of the largest cryptocurrency trading platforms, for failing to register as a securities and commodities broker-dealer and for falsely representing itself as a crypto exchange. In May 2023, Attorney General James secured $4.3 million from Coin Cafe for failing to register as a commodity broker-dealer and defrauding investors. In January 2023, Attorney General James and a multistate coalition recovered $24 million from the cryptocurrency platform Nexo for operating illegally. Attorney General James also sued the former CEO of Celsius for defrauding investors and concealing the company’s dire financial condition. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: M. Night Shyamalan to direct Jake Gyllenhaal Supernatural Movie in R.I.

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    Providence, RI — The Rhode Island Film & TV Office is pleased to announce that Academy Award nominated writer/director, M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, Unbreakable) and best-selling author Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, A Walk to Remember) are teaming up on a supernatural romantic thriller that will be filmed this summer in the Ocean State. The original narrative is a collaboration between Sparks and Shyamalan, with Sparks writing a book and Shyamalan writing a screenplay independently, based on the same original love story. The Blinding Edge Pictures film will star Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Road House, Presumed Innocent).

    M. Night Shyamalan’s most recent feature “Trap”, a psychological thriller starring Josh Hartnett was released in August of 2024. His other films include “The Sixth Sense” which was nominated for 6 Oscars in 2000, “Signs” with Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix, and the “Eastrail 177 Trilogy” with the films “Unbreakable”, “Split” and “Glass”, starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy. Shyamalan will produce the film with Blinding Edge Pictures president and producing partner Ashwin Rajan, Sparks’ longtime producer Theresa Park and Marc Bienstock.

    New York Times best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks has published 23 novels and 2 works of nonfiction. A total of 11 of those novels have been adapted as films, most notably 2004’s hit “The Notebook” starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.

    Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office, remarked, “It is a dream come true to have one of my favorite filmmakers making an original movie here in our beloved Ocean State. Night is a visionary who always attracts top-notch talent in front of and behind the camera. Rhode Island is a special location steeped in history, beauty and great mystery. With all of these amazing ingredients in the hands of a master filmmaker, we can expect M.Night Shyamalan and his outstanding team to tantalize our senses and make a movie we can all be proud of!”

    Governor Daniel J. McKee commented, “Rhode Island is excited to host the talented cast and crew of this high-quality film directed by such a master storyteller as M. Night Shyamalan. It’s great to see a new production that showcases our beautiful Ocean State. With our unique landscape and talented local artists, Rhode Island is an ideal location to film a motion picture or television series. Every time a production shoots here we see a positive impact on our local businesses. This is the type of energy that keeps moving our economy forward.”

    Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-District 23, Warwick) commented, “I am proud to continue to promote the arts and filmmaking as a thriving industry in Rhode Island. Our state provides a beautiful backdrop for a variety of major motion pictures from comedies to love stories to suspense thrillers. Furthermore, this innovative industry has proven to be an economic catalyst for the talented artists and hard-working crew members, many of whom are based right here in Rhode Island. It also provides an introduction to first-time visitors who inevitably fall in love with our Ocean State.”

    Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio (D-District 4, North Providence, Providence) said, “The Senate is pleased to welcome another major production to our state. This project will provide good paying jobs to the talented film industry professionals based in our state, indirect jobs to area small businesses, and tremendous exposure to the charm and diversity which make our state such an attractive setting to filmmakers and visitors alike.”

    The Rhode Island Film & TV Office is a government agency under the umbrella of the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Luttrell Votes to Support FY25 Budget Framework Focused on Border Security, Energy, and Tax Relief

    Source:

    WASHINGTON — Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) voted in favor of the Senate Amendment to H.Con.Res. 14, the fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget resolution. This vote is a critical step in moving forward with a budget that addresses the challenges facing our nation, including border security, national defense, and the future of our economy.

    “This budget framework sets the stage for delivering on some of the biggest priorities I hear about from folks back home — securing the border, unleashing American energy, strengthening our military, and keeping taxes low for working families and small businesses.

    I voted yes because we need to move forward with a plan that gives us the tools to rein in wasteful spending and get our fiscal house in order. The reconciliation instructions included in this resolution lay out a clear path for us to make good on conservative policies, like making the Trump tax cuts permanent, cutting red tape, and keeping our nation secure,” said Congressman Luttrell.

    Luttrell continued, “That said, I believe we need to push harder for real, enforceable savings. The House instructions call for $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, while the Senate side has just $4 billion. That’s not going to cut it when we’re staring down nearly $35 trillion in debt.

    I’m going to keep working to make sure the final product reflects real fiscal discipline.”

    The budget resolution establishes the congressional budget framework for FY 2025 and lays out recommended levels of spending, revenue, debt, and deficits for fiscal years 2026 through 2034. It also includes reconciliation instructions for both Senate and House authorizing committees, guiding efforts to enact key budgetary proposals. This includes provisions to strengthen border security, advance energy independence, bolster national security, and cut taxes to stimulate economic growth.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Tenney Votes to Advance Budget Framework, Paving Way for Trump Tax Cuts and America First Agenda

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-22)

    Washington, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today released the following statement on the passage of the Senate Amendment of Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, which sets the top line numbers of the budget reconciliation process.

    This legislation passed the House by a vote of 216-214.

    “Americans gave Congressional Republicans a clear mandate: reduce out-of-control government spending, secure our borders, and reignite economic growth, and we will deliver,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Today’s vote marks the next step in fulfilling that mandate: beginning the drafting process of the reconciliation bill. From here, we will begin writing the language for one big, beautiful bill. In this legislation, we are committed to preserving the historic tax cuts secured under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enhancing border security, unleashing American energy production, reeling in our national debt, and locking in DOGE savings. In addition, by passing this bill today, House Republicans reiterate our commitment to finding at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts, saving the American people money from fraud, abuse and waste, while preserving essential programs.”

    “Any effort to slow this momentum now would jeopardize our ability to deliver on what the American people overwhelmingly supported in the 2024 election, especially the Trump Tax Cuts. On December 31, 2025, the Trump Tax Cuts are set to expire, triggering an average 22% tax hike for American families. In addition, 2 million family-owned farms would have their death tax exemption slashed, and 40 million families would see their household child tax credit cut in half. Preserving and expanding these tax cuts is essential for the financial security of every hard-working American.”

    “By kicking off this reconciliation process, House Republicans are taking decisive steps toward fulfilling our promises and advancing President Trump’s America First agenda.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pallone: House Republicans Want to Let Banks Rob You


    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement ahead of a House vote to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) rule capping excessive overdraft fees:

    “Trump promised to lower egg prices. Instead, Republicans are gutting the rules to let banks charge you $35 per transaction to use your own checking account.  Overdraft fees are one of the most predatory practices in the financial system, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s rule finally puts guardrails in place. Repealing it means banks can run up the score on their customers with $35 fees even for small transactions. This is a Republican handout to the financial industry at the expense of everyday Americans. I’m voting no,” said Pallone.

    The CFPB — established in the wake of the 2008 financial crash — finalized the overdraft fee rule in December after years of research and public input. The rule would cap overdraft charges and save consumers billions each year. Repealing it allows banks to continue charging as much as $35 per overdraft — often for small, short-term charges that disproportionately hit low-income families. According to the CFPB, the final rule is expected to result in $5 billion in annual overdraft fee savings to consumers, or $225 per household that pays overdraft fees. The overdraft final rule will take effect on October 1, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Beyer Floor Remarks Opposing Republican Budget Resolution

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

    Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves as the Senior House Democrat on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, spoke yesterday during floor debate in opposition to the Republican budget resolution, legislation that would pave the way for GOP tax cuts for the wealthy and cuts to critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP. The resolution passed with all Democrats and two Republicans voting against.

    Beyer’s remarks follow below, and video is available here.

    I rise today in strong opposition to this budget resolution, a recipe for economic disaster for our country.

    Americans have been clear – they want lower prices and an economy that works for them. Yet, at every turn, this budget, this Administration, and my Republican colleagues are doubling down on policies that undermine our economy and make wealth equality even worse.

    I spent much of the day with Trade Ambassador Greer and it is clear that the Administration’s myth that tariffs will reshape the U.S. economy by bullying our closest allies is nothing more than a fantasy.

    The Trump tariffs represent the largest tax hike in American history. They have caused chaos in the markets, and stripped [trillions] from Americans’ retirement plans. Consumer confidence is plummeting, reaching its lowest level in 12 years, and economists are increasingly convinced we are headed for a recession.

    This budget will balloon our deficits, leading to higher interest rates. It will slash critical investments, and it will decimate essential programs that support the people we represent.

    All of this to help billionaires and corporations get tax cuts that they do not need and our country cannot afford.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Kustoff Introduces the Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative David Kustoff (TN-08)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN) introduced the Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act in the House of Representatives. This bill protects small businesses and taxpayers by bolstering taxpayer protections, prohibiting improper Internal Revenue Service (IRS) targeting of taxpayers, compensating taxpayers for IRS abuse, and lowering the regulatory burden on taxpayers.

    “Small businesses are the engine that runs our economy. As such, small businesses should be focused on what is important – growing and creating jobs. They should not have to deal with burdensome and costly IRS regulations,” said Congressman Kustoff. “I introduced the Small Business Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act to hold the IRS accountable and give small business owners the support they need.” 

    Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced the companion bill in the United States Senate.

    “Each year, Tax Day reminds us that small business owners must spend thousands of hours conforming to IRS requirements instead of boosting the economy and creating jobs,” said Senator Cornyn. “This bill lowers the compliance burden, strengthens taxpayer protections, and ensures small businesses are not targeted for additional scrutiny based on their politics.”

     

    Click here to read the full text of the bill. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Babin Backs Budget Blueprint to Deliver Trump’s America First Agenda

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

    Babin Backs Budget Blueprint to Deliver Trump’s America First Agenda

    Washington, April 10, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36) voted in favor of the Budget Resolution that paves the way for Congress to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda. 

    I proudly voted in support of the Budget Resolution because it keeps our promise to the American people and advances President Trump’s America First agenda. This plan delivers exactly what we need: serious border security, historic spending cuts, and permanent tax relief for working families,” said Congressman Babin. “House Republicans are paving the way for what President Trump rightly calls “THE ONE, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL.” It’s time to get this deal DONE and give the American people a government that works for them, not against them. This legislation secures our future, restores our economy, and puts America back on top.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Kelly, House Democrats Holds Hearing on Republican Cuts Targeting Veterans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Robin Kelly IL

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly (IL-02), co-chair of the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee, held a hearing on the Republicans’ damaging scheme to cut veterans’ benefits. Rep. Kelly heard directly from three veterans, including one who was recently fired by President Donald Trump from a senior post at Veterans Affairs (VA).

    Rep. Kelly asked witness Sharda Fornnarrino, who is a nurse at the VA, what she would tell President Trump and Elon Musk regarding their service cuts.

    “I would tell them, ‘We’re not going to give up on the VA,’” said Fornnarrino. “We’ll continue to organize and fight back against their attacks. Our nurses are really proud to work at the VA.”

    Rep. Kelly adjourned the hearing with the following full transcript:

    “Donald Trump’s extreme policies aren’t just tanking our economy and making life harder on the American people. Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and extremists appointed in their Administration are specifically targeting our nation’s veterans. They are denying veterans the care they deserve by defunding VA hospitals, closing offices, and taking a chainsaw to programs like Social Security. They are breaking the promise of the PACT Act. Freezing funding. Stopping hiring.

    “They have fired thousands of veteran workers from important jobs in our government—jobs that make sure Americans get their benefits on time, that air travel remains safe, and so much more.

    “With more than 16 million veterans in America, you would think—or at the very least hope—that Donald Trump and Elon Musk would have their best interests at heart.

    “But they don’t. Instead of standing up for those 16 million veterans, Trump and Musk are standing up for the handful of billionaire donors that are bankrolling the Republican Party.

    “And just as they do that, they are triggering a reckless economic disaster right before our eyes. Democrats stand with our veterans and the American people. We believe in protecting hard-earned benefits—not prioritizing a billionaire’s bottom line.

    “We know that we owe a debt to each and every single man and woman that has served our nation in uniform. Donald Trump might not care about repaying those debts, but Democrats absolutely do care. That is our job. George, James, Sharda, Will—know this: We will not stop fighting for you.”

    Watch the full hearing here.

    MIL OSI USA News –