NewzIntel.com

Category: Donald Trump

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Harvard University Sues Trump Administration Over International Student Ban

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    WASHINGTON, May 23 (Xinhua) — Harvard University on Friday filed a second lawsuit against the Trump administration, a day after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a ban on international students at the university.

    “The revocation of our foreign admissions authorization is the latest in a series of government actions designed to retaliate against Harvard for our refusal to surrender our academic independence and submit to the federal government’s unlawful efforts to exert control over our academic programs, faculty, and student body,” Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a letter to the university community.

    “We condemn this illegal and unjustified action. It jeopardizes the future of thousands of Harvard students and scholars and sends a disturbing message to countless others at colleges across the country who came to America to educate themselves and pursue their dreams,” Garber said.

    Harvard’s president said the university has already filed a lawsuit and will file a motion for a temporary injunction soon. “While we seek legal relief through the courts, we will do everything we can to support our students and researchers,” he said.

    U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the Trump administration’s decision on Thursday. “Let this serve as a warning to all universities and educational institutions across the country,” Noem said in a statement. “Admitting international students is a privilege, not a right, and that privilege has been revoked due to Harvard’s repeated failure to comply with federal law.”

    The minister noted that in addition to the ban on the enrollment of future international students, “current international students at Harvard must transfer to another university or lose their legal status.”

    On April 11, Trump administration officials sent a letter to Harvard demanding that the university undertake “meaningful governance reform and restructuring.” Among the administration’s key demands are rooting out what it calls anti-Semitism on campus and eliminating diversity initiatives that favor certain minority groups.

    On April 14, Harvard University rejected the Trump administration’s demands for sweeping changes to its governance, recruitment, and admissions systems. Just hours later, the White House announced it was freezing $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contracts previously awarded to the university.

    On April 16, Noem demanded that Harvard University provide information about illegal and violent activities by holders of foreign student visas by April 30, threatening that otherwise the school would lose its permission to accept foreign students.

    On April 21, Harvard University said it had filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s funding freeze, calling the measure “unlawful and beyond the government’s authority.”

    According to Harvard, international students made up more than 27 percent of the university’s total enrollment in the fall 2023 semester. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US President Threatens 50 Percent Tariffs on EU and 25 Percent Tariffs on Apple

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    NEW YORK, May 23 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to impose a 50 percent tariff on all imports from the European Union and a 25 percent tariff on Apple products if iPhones are not made in the United States.

    “The threats, made via social media, show how Trump can destabilize the global economy with a few typed messages, even as his tariffs have failed to deliver the trade deals he hoped for or the return of manufacturing to the U.S. he promised voters,” the Associated Press noted.

    The US President has announced his intention to impose tougher tariff conditions on the EU than on China. D. Trump expressed dissatisfaction with the protracted negotiations with the European Union, which proposes a complete abolition of duties, while the US President continues to defend the need to maintain a 10% basic duty on most imported goods.

    “Trade negotiations are going nowhere,” the American leader said on the Truth Social social network. “In this regard, I recommend imposing a direct 50 percent tariff on goods from the EU from June 1, 2025. It will not be levied on goods produced or manufactured in the United States,” D. Trump said.

    Earlier, the US president threatened to impose import tariffs on Apple over the company’s plans to continue manufacturing iPhones in Asia. Apple, Amazon, Walmart and other major US companies have come under fire from the White House as they try to respond to the uncertainty and inflationary pressures caused by Trump’s tariffs. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US court temporarily blocks Trump administration’s attempt to strip Harvard of right to accept foreign students

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    WASHINGTON, May 23 (Xinhua) — A federal court in Boston on Friday issued a temporary injunction blocking the Donald Trump administration’s policy of barring international students from Harvard University, saying the ban was “justified” to maintain the status quo until the merits of the case can be heard.

    If Harvard’s motion for a temporary restraining order is not granted, “the institution will suffer immediate and irreparable harm before all parties have a chance to be heard,” according to a document issued by Judge Allison Burrows of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

    Accordingly, the Trump administration is prohibited from: implementing, enacting, maintaining, or enforcing the plaintiff’s SEVP revocation; or giving any force or effect to the revocation notice issued by the Department of Homeland Security on May 22, the judge ruled.

    U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the White House’s decision to strip Harvard of its ability to admit international students on Thursday. “Let this serve as a warning to all universities and educational institutions across the country,” Noem said in a statement. “Admitting international students is a privilege, not a right, and that privilege has been revoked because of Harvard’s repeated failure to comply with federal law.”

    The minister also noted that in addition to the ban on the enrollment of future international students, “current international students at Harvard must transfer to another university or lose their legal status.”

    Earlier on Friday, Harvard University filed a second lawsuit against the Trump administration.

    “We condemn this illegal and unjustified action. It jeopardizes the futures of thousands of Harvard students and scholars and sends a disturbing message to countless others at colleges across the country who came to America to study and pursue their dreams,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a letter to the university community.

    On April 11, Trump administration officials sent a letter to Harvard demanding that the university undertake “meaningful governance reform and restructuring.” Among the administration’s key demands are rooting out what it calls anti-Semitism on campus and eliminating diversity initiatives that favor certain minority groups.

    On April 14, Harvard University rejected the Trump administration’s demands for sweeping changes to its governance, recruitment, and admissions systems. Just hours later, the White House announced it was freezing $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in multi-year contracts previously awarded to the university.

    On April 16, Noem demanded that Harvard University provide information about illegal and violent activities by holders of foreign student visas by April 30, threatening that otherwise the school would lose its permission to accept foreign students.

    On April 21, Harvard University said it had filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s funding freeze, calling the measure “unlawful and beyond the government’s authority.”

    According to Harvard, international students made up more than 27 percent of the university’s total enrollment in the fall 2023 semester. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Mornings With Maria on Fox Business to Discuss Budget Reconciliation, Iran Negotiations, GENIUS Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    NEW YORK CITY—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations, Banking, and Foreign Relations Committees and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Mornings With Maria on Fox Business live in-studio to discuss the budget reconciliation package, President Donald Trump’s negotiations with Iran, and the GENIUS Act.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on the budget reconciliation package: “[Senator] Ron [Johnson] has been focused very much on reducing our debt, reducing our deficit on an annual basis. And I agree with him in principle of what we need to do. But I also would say this: there are many things that don’t get calculated here. If you think about the massive deregulatory thrust that is underway right now, that’s not being captured, the CBO completely missed it. Back in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, they were looking for a $1 trillion revenue decrease. We had actually a massive revenue increase from a tax revenue standpoint. So, I think there’s a lot more to be done. Look, it’s coming to the Senate. I don’t think it’s going to look exactly like it came to us from the House. In fact, there are a lot of people working at pace right now to look for deeper cuts. I’m optimistic. When you add together the deregulatory thrust, the tariff reconciliation that’s going on around the world, and the actual growth components of this bill that are real, they will actually incentivize capital investment. The dynamic aspects of this, again, get missed in the calculations […] At a broad and principle level, the Senate is going to continue to look at means to actually reduce the deficit. Everything that we can accelerate in terms of reductions, we’re going to do that as well. And I think our viewpoint is we have to be responsible. We have to get on the right track here. We’re not going to solve it all in one swoop.”
    Hagerty on urgency to pass the budget reconciliation package: “I actually called up the CEOs of the companies that I had invested in. I served on their boards for years. And I asked them, what are they doing in terms of capital investment, capital planning for 2026? They said, they’re waiting. Everybody’s on hold right now. We need to deliver certainty. And my goal is, without putting a specific date on this, and I called Leader [John] Thune on this as well. I said, look, we’ve got to move this as quickly as we possibly can. I’d love to see it by the 4th of July. Certainly, we need to get it done this summer, because if we don’t, I think capital plans are going to be delayed. We’re not going to see the capital investment we want to see happen so that 2026 is the best year ever. We got to move quickly on that.”
    Hagerty on Trump’s negotiations with Iran: “I think President Trump is absolutely right. Look, I was in his administration. We put maximum pressure on Iran. We had a miss close to a deal in the previous administration. And [Former President] Joe Biden backed off, completely allowed the funds to flow again, and terrorism flowed around the Middle East. We need to maintain maximum pressure. President Trump is doing this, enrichment to the point that they could obtain nuclear grade weapons is absolutely off the table, in my view. This is going to be a tough set of negotiations. The Iranian regime, that theocracy there, has never been easy to deal with. I think the people of Iran seriously need to see change. And these negotiations, I hope, will be very fruitful.”
    Hagerty on Trump’s Middle East trip: “I think he demonstrated that America is back. We’re looking for economic ties. Economic security actually equates to national security these days. That’s a thing of the past to separate the two, and more economic prosperity is going to link our economies together. It’s going to make our security interest aligned. I thought it was a wonderful trip.”
    Hagerty on the GENIUS Act: “This is going to take us into the 21st century. We have a payment system today that was designed in the 1970s and the 1980s. It takes five to ten days to clear a payment here. With the technology available on the chain to actually do this on an almost instantaneous basis, what this will also do is provide regulatory clarity to an industry that’s been seeping offshore. Americans need to lead here. The innovation that we are capable of delivery here is enormous. And also, the benefits of this will be to extend dollar dominance, our reserve currency around the world, because it’ll be used much more in the new digital environment. Additionally, it will stimulate demand for U.S. treasuries because these digital dollars have to be backed up by cash or U.S. treasuries […] A key reason that we’ve brought stablecoin policy to the fore first [is] because this is something that my colleagues do understand. This is simply taking our payment system into the 21st century. It’s stable. It’s dollar denominated. It’s simply that these dollars have to be backed completely by cash or by U.S. treasuries. That’s safe and secure in putting these, sort of, guardrails in place. I think all my colleagues get this, but as you animated, we’re going to move into market structure. This is a complex market. This is a new market that’s evolving rapidly, that’s going to take a great deal more education. It’s going to take a great deal more time. But I’m optimistic as we embrace this piece of legislation, and I’m delighted that we’ve gotten strong, bipartisan support here, that we’re moving in the right direction. And I think that America has got to be, and will continue to be, the leader in this innovative field.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: TAKE IT DOWN ACT SIGNED INTO LAW 🇺🇸

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    “I am proud to say that the values of BE BEST will be reflected in the law of the land… We affirm that the well-being of our children is central to our future of our families in America.” –First Lady Melania Trump

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPxOUIiHmjk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Statement on Reopening of Some Lake Lanier Parks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
    Following pressure from Senator Reverend Warnock and Georgia families, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers informed the Senator that they will scale back on the number of indefinitely closed recreational sites at Lake Lanier
    The news follows earlier reports that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was indefinitely closing 23 parks in Georgia, most of which are at Lake Lanier, because of staffing shortfalls ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend
    According to WSB-TV reporting, the U.S. Army Corps now says it will only close 11 sites
    These staff cuts stem directly from reckless Trump Administration policies, including deferred registration and hiring freezes from the Department of Defense, which oversees the Army Corps of Engineers
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) issued the following statement on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers scaling back plans to indefinitely close nearly two dozen Georgia parks, most of which are at Lake Lanier, because of staffing shortfalls:
    “After public outcry from myself and countless Georgians, we prevented more than half of the announced park closures from going into effect. This is welcome news for Georgia families looking forward to enjoying summer days by the lake. But because of this administration’s reckless cuts, parks are still slated to be indefinitely closed. We must continue to speak out: Enough is enough with these reckless cuts, Georgia families deserve better,” said Senator Reverend Warnock.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Reverend Warnock Offers A Message of Hope On MeidasTouch Network

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
    Senator Reverend Warnock appeared on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel to talk about Washington Republican’s plan to gut Medicaid and to call out President Trump’s unabashed corruption
    Senator Warnock also delivered a message of hope and encouraged Americans to raise their voices in opposition to the Washington Republican Billionaire Tax Giveaway Bill, calling this “a moral moment” for our country
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “Don’t give in to those who are trying to weaponize despair. Don’t give in to those who are trying to rob you of hope, and thus the willingness to stand up and fight… It’s about the power in the people. We are strong, and it’s our moment to stand up”
    Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) appeared on the MeidasTouch network with host Ben Meiselas to discuss the massive cuts to Medicaid in Washington Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill.”
    Senator Warnock encouraged Americans to remain hopeful during these difficult times and encouraged people to use their voices to speak out against cuts to Medicaid, calling this a “moral moment” for our country.
    Senator Warnock called out Republicans for their attempts to “weaponize despair,” emphasizing that, “They’re trying to convince us that in this flooding of the zone, they’ve already won the fight, and I can tell you that as an heir to the Civil Rights Movement, as pastor of the very church where Martin Luther King Jr. served, as someone who had the humble privilege of serving as John Lewis’s pastor, I’m not about to buy that lie any more than I buy any of the other lies that they sell.”
    He also encouraged Americans to remain hopeful and continue raising their voices to oppose the unpopular Billionaire Tax Giveaway Bill: “We are not without hope, and my party may be out of power, but we are not without power. And every single day, I intend to use my power, use my voice, to raise these issues.”
    “It’s not about the people in power. It’s about the power in the people. We are strong, and it’s our moment to stand up,” added Senator Warnock.
    Senator Warnock, a member of the Senate Finance Committee which oversees the federal tax code, has come out in strong opposition to the U.S. House-passed GOP tax bill. The Senator supports a tax code that lifts up ordinary people, which is why he is a leading advocate for expanding the Child Tax Credit and making child care more affordable through targeted expanded tax credits.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Nebraska

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Nebraska

    President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Nebraska

    WASHINGTON — FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Nebraska to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe winter storm and straight-line winds from March 18-19, 2025

    Public Assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair and replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm and straight-line winds in Boone, Burt, Butler, Cass, Clay, Colfax, Cuming, Dodge, Douglas, Fillmore, Hamilton, Jefferson, Johnson, Lancaster, Nuckolls, Otoe, Platte, Polk, Saline, Sarpy, Saunders, Seward, Thayer, Thurston, Washington, Webster and York counties

     Hannah Penn has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area

    Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments

    amy

    ashbridge
    Fri, 05/23/2025 – 17:00

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Kansas

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Kansas

    President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Kansas

    WASHINGTON — FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Kansas to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe winter storm, straight-line winds, flooding and wildfires from March 14-19, 2025

    Public Assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair and replacement of facilities damaged by the severe winter storm, straight-line winds, flooding and wildfires in Barton, Chautauqua, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Gove, Graham, Gray, Greeley, Hodgeman, Jewell, Lincoln, Logan, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Pawnee, Phillips, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, Wallace and Woodson counties

     Hannah Penn has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area

    Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments

     
    amy

    ashbridge
    Fri, 05/23/2025 – 17:27

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Texas

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Texas

    President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Texas

    WASHINGTON — FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Texas to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms and flooding from March 26–28, 2025

    The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties

     Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster

    Maona N

    Ngwira has been named the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas

    Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments

    Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas should first file a claim with their insurance provider and then apply for assistance by registering online at www

    DisasterAssistance

    gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by using the FEMA App

    If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, provide FEMA the number for that service

    amy

    ashbridge
    Fri, 05/23/2025 – 17:07

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Iowa

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Iowa

    President Donald J

    Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Iowa

    WASHINGTON — FEMA announced that federal disaster assistance is available to the state of Iowa to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe winter storm on March 19, 2025

    Public Assistance federal funding is available to the state, tribal and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities in Crawford, Harrison, Monona and Woodbury counties

    Constance C

    Johnson-Cage has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area

    Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further assessments

     
    amy

    ashbridge
    Fri, 05/23/2025 – 13:38

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley, Budzinski, McGarvey Reintroduce Legislation to Establish VA Veterans Experience Office and Amplify Veteran Voices on Care and Services

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

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26), Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), and Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) reintroduced the Improving Veterans Experience Act, a bill to codify the Veterans Experience Office (VEO) within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Established in 2015, the VEO gathers feedback directly from veterans, their families, and caregivers on their experience with VA and incorporates the information to improve services. The VEO has been crucial to improving veterans’ trust in VA outpatient care, expanding outreach to women veterans, and creating a more effective and supportive mobile app that provides veterans with information and resources about care and benefits.

    “As a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, one of my primary goals has been to ensure our nation’s veterans have access to the timely, high-quality care they are entitled to. By codifying the Veterans Experience Office, the VA can continue to carry out its mission to provide the highest quality customer experience when delivering care, benefits, and memorial services to veterans and their families. I applaud Congresswoman Budzinski’s leadership and commitment to fulfilling the solemn promise of serving our veterans as well as they have served our country,” said Congresswoman Brownley, Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee.

    “There is no better way to improve VA services than to hear from the veterans, family members and caregivers who are navigating the process firsthand,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “By giving veterans a voice and putting their insights into action, VEO has made VA services more accessible and has built trust among the folks they serve. With the VA under attack by the Trump Administration’s DOGE efforts, I urge my colleagues in Congress to pass our legislation to codify this critical resource.”

    “Codifying the Veterans Experience Office ensures that veteran feedback stays at the heart of every decision the VA makes,” said Congressman McGarvey. “If we want a system that truly serves those who’ve served, we need to make sure their experiences shape policy, improve access, and build trust. Our veterans deserve nothing less.”

    “By actively seeking and integrating veterans’ feedback on VA health care and benefits, the Veterans Experience Office helps VA to design and deliver better veteran-centric services. DAV thanks Rep. Budzinski for introducing the Improving Veterans’ Experience Act, which would codify the VEO inside VA to ensure veterans’ voices and perspectives are guiding VA’s plans and programs,” said DAV National Legislative Director Joy Ilem.

    In 2016, VEO helped launch the first VA-wide customer experience survey to collect feedback on the ease, effectiveness, and emotional resonance of VA services. According to the VA, veteran trust in the agency has increased by 25% since the survey was established, reaching an all-time high in 2024. Responding to feedback that VA had too many phone numbers and websites, VEO led the creation of simple, easy-to-remember “front doors” by phone at 1-800-MyVA411 and online at VA.gov. 

    The Improving Veterans’ Experience Act is endorsed by Disabled American Veterans (DAV). 

    Read the full text of the bill here.

    ###

    Issues: 119th Congress, Veterans’ Affairs

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Reintroduces Bill to Allow All Americans to Vote at Home

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    May 23, 2025
    Reintroduction of Wyden’s bill follows House Republicans recent passage of the SAVE Act that would rip away millions of Americans’ right to vote
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today announced that he has reintroduced his bill to ensure Americans can more conveniently and securely vote at home. The Vote at Home Act would allow all eligible voters to vote by mail, provide pre-paid envelopes to return ballots, and automatically register citizens to vote at DMVs. 
    The bill follows Republican efforts to dismantle voting rights for millions of Americans. Most recently, House Republicans passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would restrict voting rights for 69 million married women who have changed their last name and 140 million Americans who do not have a passport. In-person voter ID laws particularly hurt seniors, minorities, people with disabilities, and low-income people. 
    “With Trump taking over the Oval Office, far-right legislators across our country are more emboldened to make voting more difficult for millions of Americans,” Wyden said. “Taking off work to vote in person – often waiting in long lines for hours – isn’t an option for so many voters. Voting is a fundamental constitutional right. It should be easy, and bringing the Oregon Way of vote-at-home nationwide will guarantee that every eligible voter can make their voices heard.”
    “Oregon was the first state to enact full vote by mail in 1995, an effort led by both Democratic and Republican Secretaries of State,” said U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle, D-Ore., who introduced the House companion of the Vote at Home Act earlier this year. “We have seen the positive impact that mail in voting has had in Oregon – not only does it improve access for eligible voters, but every ballot has a paper copy making it the most secure form of voting. Voting is a Constitutionally protected right and I’ll fight to make sure every eligible voter can make their voice heard. I am proud to introduce legislation with Senator Wyden that does exactly that.”
    Voting at home was recognized as a longtime option by all 50 states before the last presidential elections. Thirty states adopted or changed their laws for the 2020 general election, allowing voters to cast their ballots from home to provide greater accessibility and protect public health. In the November 2020 election, nearly 50 percent of voters used a vote-at-home ballot, an all-time high in federal races. It expands voting access to people who have health issues, family or work responsibilities, and lack transportation. 
    The Vote at Home Act, which was first introduced by Wyden in 2017, would make innovative electoral reforms across America by: 

    Promoting the Ability of Voters to Vote by Mail – All registered voters would receive ballots in the mail weeks before Election Day, allowing them to carefully research candidates and issues well ahead of Election Day to inform their vote.

    Expanding Options for Casting Ballots – All registered voters would have the ability to cast their ballot through the mail or a drop-off site. Voters residing in states with in-person, same-day registration would still have the option to vote at a polling station in lieu of voting at home.

    Funding the United States Postal Service – The legislation would provide the USPS funding to cover costs associated with mailing ballots both to and from voters in federal elections. This would allow states to save money by transitioning away from polling stations and reduce a major barrier for voters with the federal government absorbing the cost associated with USPS delivery.

    Enacting Automatic Voter Registration – States would be required to ensure that each eligible citizen who provides identifying information to the state motor vehicle authority is automatically registered to vote. The provision also ensures voters are then allowed to opt out if they so choose.

    Joining Wyden in the Senate include Senators Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. 
    “Voting by mail has worked in Oregon for years. It’s quick and secure—helping folks in red, blue, and purple states safely make their voices heard in our elections,” Merkley said. “This shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Expanding vote by mail nationwide is a secure way to ensure all eligible voters can exercise this constitutional right.”
    “Colorado has led the way on efforts to expand access to the ballot, and it shows,” Bennet said. “Our state has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country because of commonsense reforms like automatic registration and vote-by-mail. It’s time the rest of the country does too.”
    “As Republicans in Congress and in states across the country continue to attack voting rights, it is critical that we increase access to vote-at-home methods and make the right to vote accessible to all voters,” Markey said. “I am proud to join Senator Wyden in reintroducing the Vote at Home Act to ensure that we protect and expand voting rights, and in the process, strengthen our democracy and people’s sense of civic duty.”
    The legislation is endorsed by Stand Up America, National Vote at Home Institute, Institute for Responsive Government Action, End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund, and the Jewish Democratic Council of America. 
    “Voting by mail is essential for millions of Americans––including working people, college students, rural residents, and seniors––who rely on it to make their voices heard,” said Brett Edkins, Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs at Stand Up America. “It provides a secure and convenient way to cast our ballots, especially for those who face challenges getting to the polls due to long distances, hectic work schedules, and other barriers. The Vote at Home Act is a crucial step toward strengthening our democracy by ensuring every voter has the option to cast their ballot from home, return it with a pre-paid envelope, and be automatically registered at their local DMV. We are grateful to Senator Wyden and Representative Hoyle for continuing to champion the freedom to vote in Congress.”
    “If you want to support and strengthen our democracy, there’s no better way than to support Vote at Home election systems,” said Barbara Smith Warner, the Executive Director of the National Vote at Home Institute. “When every active registered voter automatically receives a mailed out paper ballot, several weeks before every election; can return them by postage-free mail or in person to a wide range of accessible, convenient and secure locations; and can track them online, in real time, to ensure their vote is counted, we all win.”
    “Every eligible American should have the opportunity to cast their ballot in an accessible and secure way, and that’s exactly what this legislation ensures,” said Sam Oliker-Friedland, Executive Director of the Institute for Responsive Government Action. “At a time when so many proposals are full of unimplementable mandates and obstacles to voting, the Vote at Home Act is a reminder of what good policy looks like: Secure Automatic Voter Registration is the best way to ensure that eligible voters get registered to vote and their information is regularly updated.”
    The text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Deploys Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security

    Source: The White House

    DEPLOYING NUCLEAR REACTORS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to rapidly deploy advanced nuclear technologies to support national security objectives, including powering artificial intelligence (AI) computing infrastructure and national security installations.

    • The Order directs the Secretary of the Army to establish a program of record to build a nuclear reactor at a domestic military installation to commence operations within the next three years.
    • The Order directs the Secretary of Energy to designate AI data centers, located at or operated in coordination with Department of Energy (DOE) facilities, as critical defense facilities, and the nuclear reactors powering them as defense critical electric infrastructure.
    • The Secretary of Energy will designate DOE sites, and work with the private sector, to deploy advanced nuclear technology to power AI infrastructure and meet other national security objectives within 30 months.
    • The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Secretaries of the military departments, is tasked with making legislative and regulatory recommendations regarding the operation of advanced nuclear reactors on military installations.

    SUPPORTING NUCLEAR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR: President Trump is taking comprehensive actions to remove government barriers to private sector investment and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies at Federal sites.

    • The Order directs the Secretary of Energy to release at least 20 metric tons of high-assay low-enriched uranium into a readily available fuel bank for private sector projects operating nuclear reactors to power AI infrastructure at DOE sites.
    • The Secretaries of Energy and Defense shall utilize their authorities to enable the construction and operation of privately-funded nuclear fuel recycling, reprocessing, and fabrication capabilities at Federal sites.
    • The Order directs the Secretaries of Energy and Defense to explore using categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act for the construction of advanced nuclear reactor technologies on Federal sites.
    • Federal departments will prioritize the issuance of security clearances to support the rapid distribution and use of nuclear energy and fuel cycle technologies.

    PROMOTING AMERICAN NUCLEAR EXPORTS: President Trump is fully leveraging the resources of the Federal government to promote the U.S. nuclear industry in the development of commercial civil nuclear projects worldwide.

    • The Order tasks the Secretary of State or his delegee to lead diplomatic engagement and negotiations for agreements under section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act to enable the U.S. nuclear industry to access new markets in partner countries.
    • Within 90 days, the Federal government will produce strategies to:
      • Increase financing for U.S. nuclear projects and promote nuclear trade; and
      • Make financial and technical support available to support foreign adoption of nuclear energy.
    • The Order directs the Secretary of State to implement a program to enhance the global competitiveness of American nuclear companies by expediting agreements and removing burdens on American exports.

    POWERING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND NATIONAL SECURITY SYSTEMS: President Trump recognizes the need to power and operate critical defense facilities and computing infrastructure for AI capabilities.

    •  Military installations, including those in locations that are not well-served by other types of power due to complex supply chains required to reach them, require uninterruptible, dispatchable, high-density power of the type that advanced nuclear reactors can provide because of their unique size and generation capabilities. This is critical for readiness and national security.
    • The Federal Government’s advanced computing AI infrastructure will require a substantial increase in scalable power solutions, which advanced nuclear reactors are well-positioned to provide. This will ensure our technological supremacy in the emerging technologies of both AI and nuclear power.
    • By empowering the Department of Energy and Department of Defense to expand utilization of advanced nuclear power and instructing each to reduce regulatory red tape hampering use of nuclear power at their sites, this Order enhances our national security and reduces reliance on foreign sources of energy for our military and AI operations.
    • 87% of new reactor builds worldwide are based on foreign designs, and the majority of the world’s nuclear fuel comes from foreign sources. By instructing the Department of State and other agencies to aggressively pursue export opportunities, this Order will strengthen our relationships with our allies and disrupt potential industry control by adversaries.

    UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY: President Trump believes in supporting all forms of reliable, dispatchable energy, harnessing nuclear, fossil fuels, and emerging technologies to secure American energy independence and fuel economic growth.

    • On Day One, President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to eliminate bureaucratic barriers, unleash innovation, and restore America’s position as the world’s leading energy producer.
    • Unleashing American energy will create jobs and economic prosperity, improve the United States’ trade balance, help our country compete with hostile foreign powers, strengthen relations with allies and partners, and support international peace and security.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Streamlines Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy

    Source: The White House

    STREAMLINING NUCLEAR REACTOR TESTING: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to reform and streamline National Laboratory processes for reactor testing at the Department of Energy.

    • The Order finds that the design, construction, and operation of advanced reactors under sufficient Department of Energy (DOE) control are, for the time being, for research purposes, and thus fall within DOE jurisdiction.
    • The Order tasks the Secretary of Energy with:
      • Issuing guidance on what counts as a qualified test reactor and taking steps to expeditiously process applications for such reactors.
      • Taking action to revise regulations, guidance, and procedures to significantly expedite the review, approval, and deployment of advanced reactors under DOE jurisdiction in order to enable operational test reactors within two years following a completed application.
      • Creating a pilot program for the construction and operation of at least three reactors outside of the National Laboratories, but under contract with and for the account of DOE, with the goal of achieving criticality by July 4, 2026.
      • Eliminating or expediting internal environmental review for authorizations, permits, approvals, and other activities related to reactor testing.

    FOSTERING NUCLEAR INNOVATION: President Trump is committed to re-establishing the United States as a global leader in nuclear energy and securing a reliable, diversified, and affordable energy supply to drive American prosperity and technological advancement.

    • While the United States led the development of civilian nuclear power through the Atomic Energy Commission, the National Reactor Testing Station (now Idaho National Laboratory), and other Federal entities, the commercial deployment of new nuclear technologies has all but stopped in recent decades.
    • Overregulation by the Federal government has stifled the domestic development and deployment of advanced reactors.
    • While the United States cultivated the effort to design and build the first Generation IV reactor for commercial use, we have since ceded the initiative to foreign nations in building these advanced reactors.
    • Advanced reactors have revolutionary potential, opening a range of new applications to support data centers, microchip manufacturing, petrochemical production, healthcare, desalination, hydrogen production, and other industries.
    • By maximizing DOE’s jurisdiction over next-generation nuclear technologies that are still in development, this Executive Order ensures that America’s innovators have clear pathways to create nuclear technologies that will propel economic prosperity and bolster national security.

    UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY: President Trump believes in all forms of reliable, dispatchable energy, harnessing nuclear, fossil fuels, and emerging technologies to secure American energy independence and fuel economic growth.

    • On Day One, President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to eliminate bureaucratic barriers, unleash innovation, and restore America’s position as the world’s leading energy producer.

    Unleashing American energy will create jobs and economic prosperity, improve the United States’ trade balance, help our country compete with hostile foreign powers, strengthen relations with allies and partners, and support international peace and security.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose.  The United States led the development of civilian nuclear power through the Atomic Energy Commission, the National Reactor Testing Station (now known as Idaho National Laboratory), and several other Federal Government entities.  This work produced safe and abundant energy.  But in the decades since, commercial deployment of new nuclear technologies has all but stopped.  The Idaho National Laboratory has principal responsibility for constructing and testing new reactor designs; it concluded construction of new reactors in the 1970s.  Our proud history of innovation has succumbed to overregulated complacency.
    As I stated in Executive Order 14156 of January 20, 2025 (Declaring a National Energy Emergency), the United States needs a reliable, diversified, and affordable supply of energy to drive development of advanced technologies, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries, and to sustain modern life and national security. Nuclear energy both is vital to this effort and has never held so much promise. Decades of research and engineering have produced prototypes of advanced nuclear technologies that incorporate passive safety mechanisms, improve the physical architecture of reactor designs, increase reactor operational flexibility and performance, and reduce risk in fuel disposal.  Advanced reactors — including microreactors, small modular reactors, and Generation IV and Generation III+ reactors — have revolutionary potential.  They will open a range of new applications to support data centers, microchip manufacturing, petrochemical production, healthcare, desalination, hydrogen production, and other industries.  
    The United States cultivated the effort to design and build the first Generation IV reactor for commercial use, but the Federal Government has effectively throttled the domestic deployment of advanced reactors, ceding the initiative to foreign nations in building this critical technology.  That changes today.  It is the policy of my Administration to foster nuclear innovation and bring advanced nuclear technologies into domestic production as soon as possible.
    Sec. 2.  Definitions.  For purposes of this order:
    (a)  The term “advanced reactor” has the same meaning as the term “advanced nuclear reactor” in 42 U.S.C. 16271(b)(1).
    (b)  The term “Department” means the Department of Energy.
    (c)  The term “qualified test reactor” means an advanced reactor that satisfies thresholds established by the Department sufficient to demonstrate that, from the perspective of technical development and financial backing, the reactor may feasibly be operational within 2 years from the date a substantially complete application is submitted.
    (d)  The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Energy.
    Sec. 3.  Findings.  With some rare and arguable exceptions, no advanced reactors have yet been deployed in America.  I find that design, construction, operation, and disposition of such reactors under the auspices of the Department — and not to produce commercial electric power — would be for research purposes, rather than “for the purpose of demonstrating the suitability for commercial application of . . . a reactor” within the meaning of 42 U.S.C. 5842.  The purpose of testing these reactors at this stage in America’s industrial evolution is to establish fundamental technological viability.  Thus, at least for the foreseeable future, advanced reactors over which the Department exercises sufficient control and that do not produce commercial electric power, including those “under contract with and for the account of the [Department],” 42 U.S.C. 2140(a)(2), fall within the jurisdiction of the Department, which has authority to foster research and development in nuclear reactors.  Nothing in this section alters the authority or jurisdiction of the Department of Defense.
    Sec. 4.  Reforming the National Laboratory Process for Reactor Testing.  (a)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall issue guidance regarding what counts as a qualified test reactor for purposes of this order.
    (b)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary shall take appropriate action to revise the regulations, guidance, and procedures and practices of the Department, the National Laboratories, and any other entity under the Department’s jurisdiction to significantly expedite the review, approval, and deployment of advanced reactors under the Department’s jurisdiction.  The Secretary shall ensure that the Department’s expedited procedures enable qualified test reactors to be safely operational at Department-owned or Department-controlled facilities within 2 years following the submission of a substantially complete application.
    (c)  Upon finding that an applicant has submitted a substantially complete application for a qualified test reactor, the Secretary shall establish a team consisting of representatives from the Secretary’s office, the relevant National Laboratory or Laboratories, the Department’s Office of General Counsel, and any other entities within the Department that possess the authority to deconflict, oppose, or approve the application.  The team shall provide assistance to the applicant to ensure expeditious processing of its application.  For these purposes, each member shall report directly to the Secretary.
    (d)  The Secretary shall prioritize qualified test reactor projects for processing, as consistent with applicable law.
    Sec. 5.  Establishing a Pilot Program Outside the National Laboratories.  (a)  The Secretary shall create a pilot program for reactor construction and operation outside the National Laboratories, pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act’s authorization of reactors under the Department’s sufficient control, including reactors “under contract with and for the account of” the Department, in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 2140.  The Secretary shall approve at least three reactors pursuant to this pilot program with the goal of achieving criticality in each of the three reactors by July 4, 2026.
    (b)  Upon approval of an application for this pilot program, the Secretary shall assign a team to provide assistance to the applicant as specified in subsection 4(c) of this order.
    Sec. 6.  Streamlining Environmental Reviews.  (a)  The Secretary shall, in consultation with the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, take action to reform the Department’s rules governing compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) no later than June 30, 2025, consistent with the policies articulated in sections 2 and 5 of Executive Order 14154 of January 20, 2025 (Unleashing American Energy), and with applicable law.  
    (b)  The Secretary shall, consistent with applicable law, use all available authorities to eliminate or expedite the Department’s environmental reviews for authorizations, permits, approvals, leases, and any other activity requested by an applicant or potential applicant.  In addition to the measures outlined in section 7 of the Executive Order of May 23, 2025 (Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security), such measures shall include determining which Department functions are not subject to NEPA, creating categorical exclusions as appropriate for reactors within certain parameters (or relying on existing categorical exclusions), relying on supplemental analyses where reactors will be located on existing sites, or utilizing alternative procedures under NEPA.
    Sec. 7.  Implementation.  The Secretary shall work with the DOGE Team Lead at the Department, as defined in Executive Order 14158 of January 20, 2025 (Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency”), with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and with the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to implement this order.
    Sec. 8.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    (d)  The Department of Energy shall provide funding for publication of this order in the Federal Register.

                                  DONALD J. TRUMP

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        May 23, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Directs Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

    Source: The White House

    MODERNIZING NUCLEAR REGULATION: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order directing the reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in order to reduce our dependence on foreign technologies, decrease regulatory barriers, and support our domestic nuclear industry.

    • This Order directs the NRC to complete rulemakings within 18 months to comprehensively revise its regulations and guidance documents, with a focus on balancing safety concerns with the benefits of nuclear energy for our economy and national security. The revisions will include:
      • Establishing fixed deadlines for evaluation and approval of licenses, including an 18-month deadline for construction and operation of new reactors and a 12-month deadline for continued operation of an existing reactor.
      • Adopting science-based radiation limits, instead of relying on flawed radiation exposure models.
      • Revising regulations governing compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act.
      • Establishing an expedited pathway for approving reactor designs that have been safely tested by the Department of Defense or Department of Energy.
      • Establishing a process for high-volume licensing of microreactors and modular reactors, including allowing for standardized applications.
      • Reconsidering regulations limiting license terms, extending those terms as appropriate.

    REALIGNING NRC CULTURE AND PERSONNEL: President Trump is directing the NRC to reform its culture and realign its organization to reflect Congress’ directive to rapidly promote nuclear power while ensuring reactor safety.

    • When licensing and regulating civilian nuclear power, the NRC is directed to consider the benefits of nuclear power to our economic and national security in addition to traditional concerns regarding safety, health, and environmental factors.
    • This Order directs a reorganization of the NRC to promote the expeditious processing of license applications and the adoption of innovative technology.
    • The NRC will create a dedicated team to draft the new regulations directed by the Order.

    REFORMING THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION: President Trump is committed to reestablishing the United States as a global leader in nuclear energy, which will create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs and generate American-led prosperity and resilience.

    • Since 1978, only two new nuclear reactors have begun construction and entered into commercial operation. Meanwhile, in just a single day, President Trump is signing twice as many Executive Orders to start a nuclear renaissance in the United States.
    • Due to an overly risk-averse culture that requires, for example, nuclear facilities to emit as little radiation as possible, including below naturally-occurring levels, the NRC has failed to license new reactors even as technological advances promise to make nuclear power safer, cheaper, more adaptable, and more abundant than ever. 
    • The Order establishes that U.S. policy will seek to facilitate the increased deployment of new nuclear reactor technologies and expand American nuclear energy capacity from around 100 GW today to 400 GW by 2050.
    • Energy independence, deregulation, and reducing barriers to building infrastructure have been hallmarks of President Trump’s second term, and reforming the NRC will represent a significant milestone across these critical policy areas.

    UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY: President Trump believes in supporting all forms of reliable, dispatchable energy, harnessing nuclear, fossil fuels, and emerging technologies to secure American energy independence and fuel economic growth.

    • On Day One, President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to eliminate bureaucratic barriers, unleash innovation, and restore America’s position as the world’s leading energy producer.
    • Unleashing American energy will create jobs and economic prosperity, improve the United States’ trade balance, help our country compete with hostile foreign powers, strengthen relations with allies and partners, and support international peace and security.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>
    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Purpose.  Abundant energy is a vital national- and economic-security interest.  In conjunction with domestic fossil fuel production, nuclear energy can liberate America from dependence on geopolitical rivals.  It can power not only traditional manufacturing industries but also cutting-edge, energy-intensive industries such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
    Between 1954 and 1978, the United States authorized the construction of 133 since-completed civilian nuclear reactors at 81 power plants. Since 1978, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has authorized only a fraction of that number; of these, only two reactors have entered into commercial operation. The NRC charges applicants by the hour to process license applications, with prolonged timelines that maximize fees while throttling nuclear power development. The NRC has failed to license new reactors even as technological advances promise to make nuclear power safer, cheaper, more adaptable, and more abundant than ever.
    This failure stems from a fundamental error:  Instead of efficiently promoting safe, abundant nuclear energy, the NRC has instead tried to insulate Americans from the most remote risks without appropriate regard for the severe domestic and geopolitical costs of such risk aversion.  The NRC utilizes safety models that posit there is no safe threshold of radiation exposure and that harm is directly proportional to the amount of exposure.  Those models lack sound scientific basis and produce irrational results, such as requiring that nuclear plants protect against radiation below naturally occurring levels.  A myopic policy of minimizing even trivial risks ignores the reality that substitute forms of energy production also carry risk, such as pollution with potentially deleterious health effects.
    Recent events in Europe, such as the nationwide blackouts in Spain and Portugal, underscore the importance of my Administration’s focus on dispatchable power generation –including nuclear power — over intermittent power.  Beginning today, my Administration will reform the NRC, including its structure, personnel, regulations, and basic operations.  In so doing, we will produce lasting American dominance in the global nuclear energy market, create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, and generate American-led prosperity and resilience.
    Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to:
    (a)  Reestablish the United States as the global leader in nuclear energy;
    (b)  Facilitate increased deployment of new nuclear reactor technologies, such as Generation III+ and IV reactors, modular reactors, and microreactors, including by lowering regulatory and cost barriers to entry;
    (c)  Facilitate the expansion of American nuclear energy capacity from approximately 100 GW in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050;
    (d)  Employ emerging technologies to safely accelerate the modeling, simulation, testing, and approval of new reactor designs;
    (e)  Support the continued operation of, and facilitate appropriate operational extensions for, the current nuclear fleet, as well as the reactivation of prematurely shuttered or partially completed nuclear facilities; and
    (f)  Maintain the United States’ leading reputation for nuclear safety.
    Sec. 3.  Reforming the NRC’s Culture.  The Congress has mandated that the NRC’s “licensing and regulation of the civilian use of radioactive materials and nuclear energy be conducted in a manner that is efficient and does not unnecessarily limit — (1) the civilian use of radioactive materials and deployment of nuclear energy; or (2) the benefits of civilian use of radioactive materials and nuclear energy technology to society.”  Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024, Public Law 118-67, sec. 501(a).  Just as the Congress directed, the NRC’s mission shall include facilitating nuclear power while ensuring reactor safety.  When carrying out its licensing and related regulatory functions, the NRC shall consider the benefits of increased availability of, and innovation in, nuclear power to our economic and national security in addition to safety, health, and environmental considerations.

    Sec. 4.  Reforming the NRC’s Structure.  (a)  The current structure and staffing of the NRC are misaligned with the Congress’s directive that the NRC shall not unduly restrict the benefits of nuclear power.  The NRC shall, in consultation with the NRC’s DOGE Team (as defined in Executive Order 14158 of January 20, 2025 (Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency”)), and consistent with its governing statutes, reorganize the NRC to promote the expeditious processing of license applications and the adoption of innovative technology.  The NRC shall undertake reductions in force in conjunction with this reorganization, though certain functions may increase in size consistent with the policies in this order, including those devoted to new reactor licensing.  The NRC shall also create a dedicated team of at least 20 officials to draft the new regulations directed by section 5 of this order.
     (b)  The personnel and functions of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) shall be reduced to the minimum necessary to fulfill ACRS’s statutory obligations.  Review by ACRS of permitting and licensing issues shall focus on issues that are truly novel or noteworthy.

    Sec. 5.  Reforming and Modernizing the NRC’s Regulations.  The NRC, working with its DOGE Team, the Office of Management and Budget, and other executive departments and agencies as appropriate, shall undertake a review and wholesale revision of its regulations and guidance documents, and issue notice(s) of proposed rulemaking effecting this revision within 9 months of the date of this order.  The NRC shall issue final rules and guidance to conclude this revision process within 18 months of the date of this order.  In conducting this wholesale revision, the NRC shall be guided by the policies set forth in section 2 of this order and shall in particular:
    (a)  Establish fixed deadlines for its evaluation and approval of licenses, license amendments, license renewals, certificates of compliance, power uprates, license transfers, and any other activity requested by a licensee or potential licensee, as directed under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, rather than the nonbinding “generic milestone schedules” guidelines the NRC has already adopted.  Those deadlines shall be enforced by fixed caps on the NRC’s recovery of hourly fees.  The deadlines shall include:  (1) a deadline of no more than 18 months for final decision on an application to construct and operate a new reactor of any type, commencing with the first required step in the regulatory process, and (2) a deadline of no more than 1 year for final decision on an application to continue operating an existing reactor of any type, commencing with the first required step in the regulatory process.  The regulations should not provide for tolling those deadlines except in instances of applicant failure, and must allow a reasonably diligent applicant to navigate the licensing process successfully in the time allotted.  Moreover, these are maximum time periods; the NRC shall adopt shorter deadlines tailored to particular reactor types or licensing pathways as appropriate. 
    (b)  Adopt science-based radiation limits.  In particular, the NRC shall reconsider reliance on the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation exposure and the “as low as reasonably achievable” standard, which is predicated on LNT.  Those models are flawed, as discussed in section 1 of this order.  In reconsidering those limits, the NRC shall specifically consider adopting determinate radiation limits, and in doing so shall consult with the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency.
    (c)  Revise, in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality, NRC regulations governing NRC’s compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act to reflect the Congress’s 2023 amendments to that statute and the policies articulated in sections 2 and 5 of Executive Order 14154 of January 20, 2025 (Unleashing American Energy). 
    (d) Establish an expedited pathway to approve reactor designs that the DOD or the DOE have tested and that have demonstrated the ability to function safely. NRC review of such designs shall focus solely on risks that may arise from new applications permitted by NRC licensure, rather than revisiting risks that have already been addressed in the DOE or DOD processes.
    (e)  Establish a process for high-volume licensing of microreactors and modular reactors, including by allowing for standardized applications and approvals and by considering to what extent such reactors or components thereof should be regulated through general licenses.
    (f)  Establish stringent thresholds for circumstances in which the NRC may demand changes to reactor design once construction is underway.
    (g)  Revise the Reactor Oversight Process and reactor security rules and requirements to reduce unnecessary burdens and be responsive to credible risks.  
    (h)  Adopt revised and, where feasible, determinate and data-backed thresholds to ensure that reactor safety assessments focus on credible, realistic risks.  
    (i)  Reconsider the regulations governing the time period for which a renewed license remains effective, and extend that period as appropriate based on available technological and safety data.
    (j)  Streamline the public hearings process.
    Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
     (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    (d)  The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall provide funding for publication of this order in the Federal Register.

                                  DONALD J. TRUMP

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        May 23, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump is Restoring Gold Standard Science in America

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>RESTORING GOLD STANDARD SCIENCE IN AMERICA: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to restore Gold Standard Science as the cornerstone of Federal scientific research and rebuild public trust in science.

    • Gold Standard Science is:
      • Reproducible, transparent, and falsifiable;
      • Subject to unbiased peer review;
      • Clear about errors and uncertainties;
      • Skeptical of assumptions;
      • Collaborative and interdisciplinary;
      • Accepting of negative results as positive outcomes; and
      • Free from conflicts of interest.
    • With this Executive Order, President Trump is directing Federal agencies to align new and existing programs and activities with Gold Standard Science principles.
    • This Order reinstates the scientific integrity policies of the first Trump Administration and ensures that science is no longer manipulated or misused to justify political ends, ensures agencies prioritize data transparency, acknowledges scientific uncertainties, remains transparent about the likelihood of future scenarios, evaluates scientific findings objectively, and communicates scientific data accurately.
    • The EO charges the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to work with agency heads to issue guidance for adopting Gold Standard Science principles in 30 days and report their implementation progress within 60 days.
    • Agencies will publicly share data, analyses, models, and conclusions associated with scientific and technological information produced or used by the agency.
    • Agencies will also transparently acknowledge and document uncertainties, apply a “weight of scientific evidence” approach to decisionmaking, and ensure that scientific communication aligns with rigorous analysis.

    A CALL TO EXCELLENCE FOR AMERICA’S RESEACHERS: The Trump Administration encourages American research organizations across academia, industry, and philanthropy to return to core principles of scientific inquiry and align their activities to Gold Standard Science.

    • For too long, bureaucratic agendas, political interference, and inconsistent standards have eroded the American people’s trust in science.
    • Under the Biden Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) incorporated edits by a teachers’ union into its school reopening guidance, which discouraged in-person learning. This was despite the best available scientific evidence at the time showing that the COVID-19 risk for children was minimal, leading to prolonged closures that harmed students’ education.
    • The National Marine Fisheries Service adopted an admittedly flawed “worst-case scenario” projection for the North Atlantic right whale population, which could have devastated the historic Maine lobster fishery had the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals not overturned the opinion for skewing evidence analysis.
    • Agencies have relied on the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 to justify climate change policies that hamper the American energy industry, an unrealistic worst-case climate scenario with exaggerated coal use assumptions, which scientists have criticized as misleading.
    • The Biden Administration manipulated science to achieve political ends, and conducted subpar science designed to support predetermined outcomes instead of objective science that informed well-designed policies.
    • President Trump’s restoration of Gold Standard Science will rebuild the nation’s confidence in science and its use in Federal decisionmaking, and ensure continued American strength and global leadership in technology.
    • New scientific integrity policies will:
      • Encourage the open exchange of ideas;
      • Ensure consideration of different or dissenting viewpoints; and
      • Protect employees from efforts to dissuade or prevent consideration of alternative scientific opinions.

    USHERING IN AMERICA’S GOLDEN AGE OF INNOVATION: This Executive Order is another step forward in President Trump’s agenda to ensure unquestioned American scientific and technological global dominance.

    This Order imposes the highest standards of scientific rigor on both the development and use of science by Federal agencies to restore public trust and ensure that policymaking follows, or adequately addresses, scientific findings, for demonstratable positive outcomes for the American public.

    Since inauguration, the President has taken significant action to:

    • Define America’s key scientific priorities in artificial intelligence, quantum information science, nuclear technology, and biotechnology.
    • Secure trillions of dollars in U.S.-based technology and research & development investments.
    • Create new educational and workforce development opportunities in artificial intelligence technology for America’s youth.

    Improve the safety and security of biological research. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Reinvigorates the Nuclear Industrial Base

    Source: The White House

    REINVIGORATING THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to expedite and promote the production and operation of nuclear energy, which is necessary to power the next generation technologies that secure our global industrial, digital, and economic dominance, achieve energy independence, and protect our national security.

    • This Order tasks the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to report on a recommended national policy to support spent nuclear fuel management, an evaluation of policies regarding commercial recycling and reprocessing of nuclear fuels, and recommendations for the efficient use of nuclear waste materials.
    • The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Director of OMB, will develop a plan to expand domestic uranium conversion capacity and enrichment capabilities to meet projected civilian and defense reactor needs.
    • This Order directs the Secretary of Energy to create a program to dispose of surplus plutonium by processing and making it available for advanced reactor fuel fabrication, stopping the surplus plutonium disposition program other than with respect to existing legal obligations.
    • President Trump is leveraging the Defense Production Act to seek voluntary agreements with domestic nuclear energy companies for the procurement of enriched uranium and for consultation regarding methods to enhance domestic capability to manage spent nuclear fuel.
    • The Secretary of Energy is authorized to support the establishment of nuclear industry consortia by ensuring offtake for newly established domestic fuel supply across milling, conversion/deconversion, enrichment, fabrication, and recycling and reprocessing.

    ACCELERATING NEW NUCLEAR ENERGY PRODUCTION: President Trump is leveraging the full suite of Federal financial resources to support the restart, completion, uprate, and construction of nuclear plants.

    • The Department of Energy will prioritize the facilitation of 5 GW of power uprates to existing nuclear reactors and construction on 10 new large reactors by 2030.
    • Federal loans and loan guarantees will be prioritized to support increased nuclear energy, including restarting closed nuclear power plants and completing construction of prematurely suspended plants.
    • The Order tasks the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, to prioritize funding for companies with potential for near-term deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.

    EXPANDING THE AMERICAN NUCLEAR WORKFORCE: President Trump is taking action to expand pathways for Americans to gain employment in the domestic nuclear workforce.

    • Nuclear engineering and nuclear energy-related careers will be considered priority areas for actions directed pursuant to Executive Order 14278.
    • The Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education will increase participation in nuclear energy-related registered apprenticeships and career and technical education programs.
    • The Secretary of Energy will increase access to R&D infrastructure, workforce, and expertise at Department of Energy National Laboratories for college and university nuclear engineering students.

    STRENGTHENING THE DOMESTIC NUCLEAR FUEL SUPPLY CHAIN: To enable the long-term expansion of nuclear energy, the Federal government shall pursue policies to maximize the value of nuclear fuel and expand the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain.

    • The Nation’s nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure has severely atrophied, with domestic fuel sources supplying only about 5% of the fuel used in U.S. reactors. In addition to permitting challenges in mining the relevant minerals, in 1977 the Federal government introduced a policy that did not allow reprocessing of used fuel for commercial reactors, leaving the United States heavily dependent on foreign sources of uranium as well as uranium enrichment and conversion services. 
    • The United States possesses ample deposits of uranium and thorium that can power advanced nuclear reactors. The President has already taken decisive action to advance mining activities relevant to these minerals pursuant to his Executive Order “Immediate Measures to Increase Domestic Mineral Production.”
    • This Executive Order supplements the Administration’s actions on mineral production to ensure that we can not only mine, but also process and refine, nuclear fuel domestically. This is crucial for energy independence and national security.
    • Treatment of nuclear waste is one of the most difficult problems in the nuclear supply chain, and this Order brings together all relevant Federal agencies to develop implementable solutions.
    • 60% of the nuclear workforce is between the ages of 30 and 60, and this Order takes decisive action to generate a pipeline of workers to supply the demand for this crucial industry.

    UNLEASHING AMERICAN ENERGY: President Trump believes in supporting all forms of reliable, dispatchable energy, harnessing nuclear, fossil fuels, and emerging technologies to secure American energy independence and fuel economic growth.

    • On Day One, President Trump declared a National Energy Emergency to eliminate bureaucratic barriers, unleash innovation, and restore America’s position as the world’s leading energy producer.
    • Unleashing American energy will create jobs and economic prosperity, improve the United States’ trade balance, help our country compete with hostile foreign powers, strengthen relations with allies and partners, and support international peace and security.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base

    Source: The White House

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  The United States originally pioneered nuclear energy technology during a time of great peril.  We now face a new set of challenges, including a global race to dominate in artificial intelligence, a growing need for energy independence, and access to uninterruptible power supplies for national security. 
    It took nearly 40 years for the United States to add the same amount of nuclear capacity as another developed nation added in 10 years.Further, as American deployment of advanced reactor designs has waned, 87 percent of nuclear reactors installed worldwide since 2017 are based on designs from two foreign countries.At the same time, the Nation’s nuclear fuel cycle infrastructure has severely atrophied, leaving the United States heavily dependent on foreign sources of uranium as well as uranium enrichment and conversion services.These trends cannot continue.
    Swift and decisive action is required to jumpstart America’s nuclear energy industrial base and ensure our national and economic security by increasing fuel availability and production, securing civil nuclear supply chains, improving the efficiency with which advanced nuclear reactors are licensed, and preparing our workforce to establish America’s energy dominance and accelerate our path towards a more secure and independent energy future.

    Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to expedite and promote to the fullest possible extent the production and operation of nuclear energy to provide affordable, reliable, safe, and secure energy to the American people, to power advanced nuclear reactor technologies, as defined in 42 U.S.C. 16271(b)(1)(A), and to build associated supply chains that secure our global industrial and digital dominance, achieve our energy independence, protect our national security, and maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of nuclear fuel through recycling, reprocessing, and reinvigorating the commercial sector.

    Sec. 3.  Strengthening the Domestic Nuclear Fuel Cycle.  (a)  Within 240 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), shall prepare and submit to the President, through the Chair of the National Energy Dominance Council and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, a report that includes:

    (i.) a recommended national policy to support the management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste and the development and deployment of advanced fuel cycle capabilities to establish a safe, secure, and sustainable long-term fuel cycle;

    (ii.) a review of relevant statutory authorities to identify any legislative changes necessary or desirable to achieve the national policy recommended under subsection (a)(i) of this section; 

    (iii.) an evaluation of the reprocessing and recycling of spent nuclear fuel from the operation of Department of Defense and Department of Energy reactors and other spent nuclear fuel managed by the Department of Energy, along with a discussion of steps the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy are taking or must take to improve such reprocessing and recycling processes;

    (iv.) an analysis of legal, budgetary, and policy considerations relevant to efficiently transferring spent nuclear fuel from reactors to a government-owned, privately operated reprocessing and recycling facility;

    (v.) recommendations for the efficient use of the uranium, plutonium, and other products recovered through recycling and reprocessing;

    (vi.) recommendations for the efficient disposal of the wastes generated by recycling or reprocessing through a permanent disposal pathway;

    (vii.) a recommended process for evaluating, prior to disposal, nuclear waste materials for isotopes of value to national security, or medical, industrial, and scientific sectors;

    (viii.) a reevaluation of historic and current nuclear reprocessing, separation, and storage facilities slated for decommissioning and that are identified as having valuable materials, isotopes, equipment, licenses, operations, or experienced workers, and that may have potential fuel cycle or national security benefits if operations are continued or increased; and

    (ix.) a program to develop methods and technologies to transport, domestically and overseas, used and unused advanced nuclear fuels and advanced nuclear reactors containing such fuels in a safe, secure, and environmentally sound manner, including any legislation required to support this initiative     (b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Director of OMB, shall develop a plan to expand domestic uranium conversion capacity and expand enrichment capabilities sufficient to meet projected civilian and defense reactor needs for low enriched uranium (LEU), high enriched uranium (HEU) and high assay, low enriched uranium (HALEU), subject to retention of such stockpiles as are necessary for tritium production, naval propulsion, and nuclear weapons. The plan shall be implemented based on the timeframes set forth in the plan.

      (b) Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Director of OMB, shall develop a plan to expand domestic uranium conversion capacity and expand enrichment capabilities sufficient to meet projected civilian and defense reactor needs for low enriched uranium (LEU), high enriched uranium (HEU) and high assay, low enriched uranium (HALEU), subject to retention of such stockpiles as are necessary for tritium production, naval propulsion, and nuclear weapons. The plan shall be implemented based on the timeframes set forth in the plan.
      (c) The Secretary of Energy shall halt the surplus plutonium dilute and dispose program except with respect to the Department of Energy’s legal obligations to the State of South Carolina. In place of this program, the Secretary of Energy shall establish a program to dispose of surplus plutonium by processing and making it available to industry in a form that can be utilized for the fabrication of fuel for advanced nuclear technologies.
      (d) Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense as appropriate, shall update the Department of Energy’s excess uranium management policy to align with the policy objectives of this order and the Nuclear Fuel Security Act, factoring in the national security need to modernize the United States nuclear weapon stockpile. The Secretary of Energy shall prioritize contracting for the development of fuel fabrication facilities that demonstrate the technical and financial feasibility to supply fuel to qualified test reactors or pilot program reactors within 3 years from the date of such applications.
      (e) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Attorney General and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, shall utilize the authority provided to the President in section 708(c)(1) of the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA) (50 U.S.C. 4558(c)(1)), which has been delegated to the Secretary of Energy pursuant to Executive Order 13603 of March 16, 2012 (National Defense Resources Preparedness), to seek voluntary agreements pursuant to section 708 of the DPA with domestic nuclear energy companies.The Secretary of Energy should prioritize agreements with those companies that have achieved objective milestones (e.g., Department of Energy-approved conceptual safety design reports, the ability to privately finance their fuel, or the demonstrated technology capability) for the cooperative procurement of LEU and HALEU, including as needed by the Federal Government for tritium production, naval propulsion, and nuclear weapons.
      (f)  The Secretary of Energy, the Attorney General, and the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission shall take all necessary and appropriate steps under sections 708(c), (d), (e), and (f)(1)(A) of the DPA (50 U.S.C. 4558(c), (d), (e), (f)(1)(A)), for the Secretary of Energy to form agreements pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. 
      (g)  The Attorney General shall, after consultation with the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, consider whether to make the finding described in section 708(f)(1)(B) of the DPA (50 U.S.C. 4558(f)(1)(B)), with respect to any agreement and, no later than 30 days after any voluntary agreement is reached, shall publish such finding as appropriate. 
      (h)  Such voluntary agreements shall further allow consultation with domestic nuclear energy companies to discuss and implement methods to enhance the capability to manage spent nuclear fuel, including the recycling and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, to ensure the continued reliable operation of the Nation’s nuclear reactors.  Such voluntary agreements shall also allow industry consultation to establish consortia and plans of action to ensure that the nuclear fuel supply chain capacity, including milling, conversion, enrichment, deconversion, fabrication, recycling, or reprocessing, is available to enable the continued reliable operation of the Nation’s existing, and future, nuclear reactors.  The Secretary of Energy, consistent with applicable law, is authorized to provide procurement support, forward contracts, or guarantees to such consortia as a means to ensure offtake for newly established domestic fuel supply, including conversion, enrichment, reprocessing, or fabrication capacity.

      Sec. 4.  Funding for Restart, Completion, Uprate, or Construction of Nuclear Plants.  (a)  To maximize the speed and scale of new nuclear capacity, the Department of Energy shall prioritize work with the nuclear energy industry to facilitate 5 gigawatt of power uprates to existing nuclear reactors and have 10 new large reactors with complete designs under construction by 2030.  To help achieve these objectives, the Secretary of Energy, through the Department of Energy Loan Programs Office, shall, subject to the requirements of the Federal Credit Reform Act and other applicable law and OMB Circular A-11, prioritize activities that support nuclear energy, including actions to make available resources for restarting closed nuclear power plants, increasing power output of operating nuclear power plants, completing construction of nuclear reactors that was prematurely suspended, constructing new advanced nuclear reactors, and improving all associated aspects of the nuclear fuel supply chain.  
      (b) The Secretary of Energy shall also coordinate with the Secretary of Defense to assess the feasibility of restarting or repurposing closed nuclear power plants as energy hubs for military microgrid support, consistent with applicable law, focusing initially on installations with insufficient power resilience or grid fragility.
      (c) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, shall, subject to the availability of appropriations, prioritize funding for qualified advanced nuclear technologies through grants, loans, investment capital, funding opportunities, and other Federal support. Priority shall be given to those companies demonstrating the largest degrees of design and technological maturity, financial backing, and potential for near-term deployment of their technologies.

      Sec. 5.  Expanding the Nuclear Energy Workforce. (a Nuclear engineering and other careers and education pathways that support the nuclear energy industry shall be considered areas of focus and priority pursuant to Executive Order 14278 of April 23, 2025 (Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future).    
      (b)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education shall seek to increase participation in nuclear energy-related Registered Apprenticeships and Career and Technical Education programs by:
      (i)    using apprenticeship intermediary contracts and allocating existing discretionary funds, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to engage industry organizations and employers to perform a gap analysis of apprenticeship programs, and facilitate the development of Registered Apprenticeship programs, in nuclear energy-related occupations that are underrepresented;
      (ii)   encouraging States and grantees to use funding provided under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Public Law 113-128), as amended, to develop nuclear engineering and other nuclear energy-related skills and to support work-based learning opportunities, including issuing related guidance to State and local workforce development boards and others regarding use of such funds for such purposes; and
      (iii)  consistent with applicable law, establishing nuclear engineering and other nuclear energy-related skills training and work-based learning as a grant priority in Employment and Training Administration and Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education discretionary grant programs.
      (c)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, all executive departments and agencies that provide educational grants shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, consider nuclear engineering and other nuclear energy-related careers as a priority area for investment.
      (d)  Within 120 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Energy shall take steps to increase access to research and development infrastructure, workforce, and expertise at Department of Energy National Laboratories for college and university students studying nuclear engineering and other nuclear energy-related fields, and Department of Defense personnel affiliated with nuclear energy programs.

      Sec. 6.  Other Provisions.  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect OMB functions related to procurement actions and related policy.  This order shall be carried out subject to the budgetary, legislative, and procurement processes and requirements established by the Director of OMB, and coordinated with OMB, as appropriate, prior to the initiation of any new program, obligation, or commitment of Federal funds, or submission of any legislative or procurement proposal arising from this order.  This order shall be carried out in a manner which adheres to applicable legal requirements, conforms with nonproliferation obligations, and meets the highest safeguards, safety, and security standards.

      Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
      (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
      (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
      (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
      (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
      (d)  The Department of Energy shall provide funding for publication of this order in the Federal Register.

                                     DONALD J. TRUMP

      THE WHITE HOUSE,
          May 23, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Restoring Gold Standard Science

    Source: The White House

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 7301 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:
    Section 1.  Policy and Purpose.  Over the last 5 years, confidence that scientists act in the best interests of the public has fallen significantly.  A majority of researchers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics believe science is facing a reproducibility crisis.  The falsification of data by leading researchers has led to high-profile retractions of federally funded research.  
    Unfortunately, the Federal Government has contributed to this loss of trust.  In several notable cases, executive departments and agencies (agencies) have used or promoted scientific information in a highly misleading manner.  For example, under the prior Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued COVID-19 guidance on reopening schools that incorporated edits by the American Federation of Teachers and was understood to discourage in-person learning.  This guidance’s restrictive and burdensome reopening conditions led many schools to remain at least partially closed, resulting in substantial negative effects on educational outcomes — even though the best available scientific evidence showed that children were unlikely to transmit or suffer serious illness or death from the virus, and that opening schools with reasonable mitigation measures would have only minor effects on transmission.  
    The National Marine Fisheries Service justified a biological opinion by adopting an admitted “worst-case scenario” projection of the North Atlantic right whale population that it believed was “very likely” wrong.  The agency’s proposed actions could have destroyed the historic Maine lobster fishery.  The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals subsequently overturned that opinion because the agency’s decision to seek out the worst-case scenario skewed its approach to the evidence.  
    Similarly, agencies have used Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenario 8.5 to assess the potential effects of climate change in a “higher” warming scenario.  RCP 8.5 is a worst-case scenario based on highly unlikely assumptions like end-of-century coal use exceeding estimates of recoverable coal reserves.  Scientists have warned that presenting RCP 8.5 as a likely outcome is misleading.
    Actions taken by the prior Administration further politicized science, for example, by encouraging agencies to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations into all aspects of science planning, execution, and communication.  Scientific integrity in the production and use of science by the Federal Government is critical to maintaining the trust of the American people and ensuring confidence in government decisions informed by science.
    My Administration is committed to restoring a gold standard for science to ensure that federally funded research is transparent, rigorous, and impactful, and that Federal decisions are informed by the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available.  We must restore the American people’s faith in the scientific enterprise and institutions that create and apply scientific knowledge in service of the public good.  Reproducibility, rigor, and unbiased peer review must be maintained.  This order restores the scientific integrity policies of my first Administration and ensures that agencies practice data transparency, acknowledge relevant scientific uncertainties, are transparent about the assumptions and likelihood of scenarios used, approach scientific findings objectively, and communicate scientific data accurately.  Agency use of Gold Standard Science, as set forth in this order, will spur innovation, translate discovery to success, and ensure continued American strength and global leadership in technology.

    Sec. 2.  Definitions.  For the purposes of this order:
    (a)  “Employee” has the meaning given that term in 5 U.S.C. 2105.
    (b)  “Scientific information” means factual inputs, data, models, analyses, technical information, or scientific assessments related to such disciplines as the behavioral and social sciences, public health and medical sciences, life and earth sciences, engineering, physical sciences, or probability and statistics.  This includes any communication or representation of knowledge such as facts or data, in any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic, cartographic, narrative, or audiovisual forms.
    (c)  “Scientific misconduct” means fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, reviewing, or reporting the results of scientific research, but does not include honest error or differences of opinion.  For the purposes of this definition;
    (i)    “fabrication” is making up data or results and recording or reporting them;
    (ii)   “falsification” is manipulating research materials, equipment, or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record; and
    (iii)  “plagiarism” is the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results, or words without giving appropriate credit.
    (d)  “Senior appointee” means an individual appointed by the President (or an individual performing the functions and duties of an individual appointed by the President) or a non-career member of the Senior Executive Service.
    (e)  “Weight of scientific evidence” means an approach to scientific evaluation in which each piece of relevant information is considered based on its quality and relevance, and then transparently integrated with other relevant information to inform the scientific evaluation prior to making a judgment about the scientific evaluation.  Quality and relevance determinations, at a minimum, should include consideration of study design, fitness for purpose, replicability, peer review, and transparency and reliability of data.

    Sec. 3.  Restoring Gold Standard Science.  (a)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP Director) shall, in consultation with the heads of relevant agencies, issue guidance for agencies on implementation of “Gold Standard Science” in the conduct and management of their respective scientific activities.  For the purposes of this order, Gold Standard Science means science conducted in a manner that is:
    (i)     reproducible;
    (ii)    transparent;
    (iii)   communicative of error and uncertainty;
    (iv)    collaborative and interdisciplinary;
    (v)     skeptical of its findings and assumptions;
    (vi)    structured for falsifiability of hypotheses;
    (vii)   subject to unbiased peer review;
    (viii)  accepting of negative results as positive outcomes; and
    (ix)    without conflicts of interest.
    (b)  Upon publication of the guidance prescribed in subsection (a), each agency head, as necessary and appropriate and in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Director) and the OSTP Director, shall promptly update applicable agency policies governing the production and use of scientific information, including scientific integrity policies, to implement the OSTP Director’s guidance on Gold Standard Science and ensure that agency scientific activities are conducted in accordance with this order.
    (c)  Each agency head shall, to the extent practicable, incorporate the OSTP Director’s guidance on Gold Standard Science and the requirements of this order into the processes by which their agency conducts, manages, interprets, communicates, and uses scientific or technological information prior to the finalization of the updated policies under this section.
    (d)  Within 60 days of the publication of the guidance prescribed in section 3(a), agency heads shall report to the OSTP Director on the actions taken to implement Gold Standard Science at their agency.

     Sec. 4.  Improving the Use, Interpretation, and Communication of Scientific Data.  No later than 30 days after the date of this order, agency heads and employees shall adhere to the following rules governing the use, interpretation, and communication of scientific data, unless otherwise provided by law:
    (a)  Employees shall not engage in scientific misconduct nor knowingly rely on information resulting from scientific misconduct.
    (b)  Except as prohibited by law, and consistent with relevant policies that protect national security or sensitive personal or confidential business information, agency heads shall in a timely manner and, to the extent practicable and within the agency’s authority:
    (i)  subject to paragraph (ii), make publicly available the following information within the agency’s possession:
    (A)  the data, analyses, and conclusions associated with scientific and technological information produced or used by the agency that the agency reasonably assesses will have a clear and substantial effect on important public policies or important private sector decisions (influential scientific information), including data cited in peer-reviewed literature; and
    (B)  the models and analyses (including, as applicable, the source code for such models) the agency used to generate such influential scientific information.  Employees may not invoke exemption 5 to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(5)) to prevent disclosure of such models unless authorized in writing to do so by the agency head following prior notice to the OSTP Director.
    (ii)  risk models used to guide agency enforcement actions or select enforcement targets are not information that must be disclosed under this subsection.
    (c)  When using scientific information in agency decision-making, employees shall transparently acknowledge and document uncertainties, including how uncertainty propagates throughout any models used in the analysis.
    (d) Where employees produce or use scientific information to inform policy or legal determinations they must use science that comports with the legal standards applicable to those determinations, including when agencies evaluate the realistic or reasonably foreseeable effects of an action.
    (e)  Employees shall be transparent about the likelihood of the assumptions and scenarios used.  Highly unlikely and overly precautionary assumptions and scenarios should only be relied upon in agency decision-making where required by law or otherwise pertinent to the agency’s action.
    (f)  When scientific or technological information is used to inform agency evaluations and subsequent decision-making, employees shall apply a “weight of scientific evidence” approach.
    (g)  Employees’ communication of scientific information shall be consistent with the results of the relevant analysis and evaluation and, to the extent that uncertainty is present, the degree of uncertainty should be communicated.  Communications involving a scientific model or information derived from a scientific model should include reference to any material assumptions that inform the model’s outputs.
    (h)  Once the guidance on Gold Standard Science is established and promulgated pursuant to section 3 of this order, it shall, among other things, form the basis for employees’ evaluation of all scientific and technological information called for in this order except where otherwise required by law.

    Sec. 5.  Interim Scientific Integrity Policies.  (a)  Until the issuance of updated agency scientific integrity policies pursuant to section 3 of this order, and except where required by law:
    (i)    scientific integrity policies in each agency shall be governed by the scientific integrity policies that existed within the executive branch on January 19, 2021, except that in the event of a conflict between such policies and the policies and requirements of this order, the policies and requirements of this order control; and
    (ii)   agency heads shall take all necessary actions to reevaluate and, where necessary, revise or rescind scientific integrity policies or procedures, or amendments to such policies or procedures, issued between January 20, 2021, and January 20, 2025.
    (iii)  each agency head shall promptly revoke any organizational or operational changes, designations, or documents that were issued or enacted pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum of January 27, 2021 (Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking), which was revoked pursuant to Executive Order 14154 and shall conduct applicable agency operations in the manner and revert applicable agency organization to the same form as would have existed in the absence of such changes, designations, or documents.
    (b)  In updating applicable scientific integrity policies pursuant to section 3 of this order, agencies should ensure they:
    (i)    encourage the open exchange of ideas;
    (ii)   provide for consideration of different or dissenting viewpoints; and
    (iii)  protect employees from efforts to prevent or deter consideration of alternative scientific opinions.
    (c)  Agencies, unless prohibited by law, shall review agency actions taken between January 20, 2021, and January 20, 2025, including regulations, guidance documents, policies, and scientific evaluations and take all appropriate steps, consistent with law, to ensure alignment with the policies and requirements of this order.

    Sec. 6.  Scope and Applicability.  (a)  The policies and rules set forth in this order apply to all employees involved in the generation, use, interpretation, or communication of scientific information, regardless of job classification, and to all agency decision-making, except where precluded by law.
    (b)  Agency heads and employees shall, to the extent practicable and consistent with applicable law, require agency contractors to adhere to these policies and rules as though they were agency employees.  
    (c)  The policies and rules set forth in this order govern the use of science that informs agency decisions but they are not applicable to non-scientific aspects of agency decision-making.

    Sec. 7.  Enforcement and Oversight.  (a)  Each agency head shall establish internal processes to evaluate alleged violations of the requirements of this order and other applicable agency policies governing the generation, use, interpretation, and communication of scientific information.  Such processes shall be the responsibility, and administered under the direction, of a senior appointee designated by the agency head and shall provide for taking appropriate measures to correct scientific information in response to violations, consistent with the requirements and procedures of section 515 of the statute commonly known as the Information Quality Act, Public Law 106-554, appendix C (114 Stat. 2763A-153).  The designated senior appointee may also forward potential violations to the relevant human resources officials for discipline to the extent the potential violation also violates applicable agency policies and procedures.  The designated senior appointee may consult appropriate officials with scientific expertise when establishing such processes.  
    (b)  The processes created under this section are, unless otherwise required by applicable law, the sole and exclusive means of evaluating and, as applicable, addressing alleged violations of this order and other agency policies governing the use, interpretation, and communication of scientific information.

    Sec. 8.  Waivers.  (a)  An agency head may request in writing that the OMB Director, in consultation with the OSTP Director, waive any of the requirements of this order for good cause shown.  Such request must explain how the requested waiver is consistent with the policies and purposes of this order.
    (b)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this order, the policies and requirements of this order shall apply to agency actions that pertain to foreign or military affairs, or to a national security or homeland security function of the United States, only to the extent that the applicable agency head, in his or her sole and exclusive discretion, determines they should apply.

    Sec. 9.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
    (d)   The Office of Management and Budget shall provide funding for publication of this order in the Federal Register.

                                   DONALD J. TRUMP

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        May 23, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Joins Multistate Coalition to Oppose Trump Administration’s Reclassification of Federal Employees

    Source: US State of California

    New Trump employment classification would strip civil-service protections from tens of thousands of nonpartisan federal employees and risk eroding the effectiveness of the federal government  

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter that opposes the Office of Personnel Management’s proposed rule to create a new employment classification in the federal civil service called “Schedule Policy/Career.”  If implemented, this classification, a reinstatement of the previously failed “Schedule F,” would strip critical workplace protections from tens of thousands of career federal employees, allowing the Trump Administration to fire them for “subverting Presidential directives” or purely political or reasons unrelated to their job performance. 

    “The Trump Administration is looking to trample on workers’ rights by reinstating the Schedule F classification,” said Attorney General Bonta. “This would be a direct assault on the integrity of our federal workforce by threatening to replace experienced, nonpartisan professionals with political loyalists. This change would not only undermine the trust and stability of our strong federal workforce comprised of subject matter experts, it would also break the very foundation of a government that serves all Americans, not just those who implement President’ Trump’s agenda.”  

    Under the current federal civil service system, approximately 2 million federal employees serve in the “competitive service,” meaning they are hired through a merit-based process and protected by civil-service laws that guard against arbitrary dismissal or political interference. These federal employees are nonpartisan professionals hired for their expertise and expected to carry out the laws passed by Congress regardless of political shifts. 

    The new Schedule Policy/Career classification that attempts to reprise the previously proposed Schedule F would reclassify a broad range of policy-related civil servants—such as analysts, attorneys, scientists, and regulators — into an at-will employment status. Unlike traditional Schedule C appointees who change with each new presidential administration, Schedule Policy/Career would apply to nonpartisan federal career staff not normally subject to such turnover. This reclassification would remove long-standing due process protections that guard the apolitical nature of the federal workforce and open these employees up to being fired on political grounds.  

    As of March 2024, there were only roughly 1,600 Schedule C employees across the entire federal government, which illustrates just how narrow Congress intended the exemptions from merit-based employment to be. When the first Trump Administration attempted to implement Schedule F, one estimate projected it would reclassify as many as 50,000 federal employees. 

    In the comment letter, the attorneys general argue that the Trump Administration’s proposed rule is unlawful, unconstitutional, and harmful to states. Schedule Policy/Career violates the clear intent of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, which Congress passed to protect federal employees from arbitrary dismissal and ensure merit-based hiring. It also raises due process concerns under the Fifth Amendment by retroactively stripping career civil servants of vested employment rights. From a policy standpoint, the rule would politicize the federal workforce, chill the independence of career professionals, make it more difficult to retain experienced employees, and open the door to partisan retaliation against public servants when their expertise conflicts with a presidential administration’s political agenda.

    The attorneys general also emphasize the rule’s dangerous impact on states, including California, which depend on consistent, professional federal partners to administer shared programs. States rely on civil servants at agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Education to implement laws, distribute funds, and provide technical guidance. This reclassification would also affect civil servants at agencies that states rely on to manage disasters, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The attorneys general further warn that the implementation of Schedule Policy/Career could return key parts of the federal workforce to a spoils system that enables a president to reward loyalists with jobs, rather than allow federal agencies to hire based on merit. Politicizing these positions would undermine cooperation, destabilize federal-state programs like Medicaid and environmental enforcement, and significantly degrade the effectiveness of the federal government, as well as its adherence to the rule of law. The attorneys general warn in the comment letter that Schedule F would erode federal-state relations by effectively shifting regulatory and programmatic burdens onto the states and coercing state compliance with federal political priorities. 

    This letter was co-led by Attorneys General Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Anne E. Lopez of Hawaii. They were joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

    A copy of the comment letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch Applauds President Trump’s Executive Orders on Nuclear Energy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch released a statement today on President Donald Trump’s executive actions to expand American nuclear energy production and streamline the deployment of advanced civil nuclear technologies.  

    “Nuclear energy is America’s creation and will be essential to powering our nation’s future,” said Risch.“President Trump’s actions present a significant opportunity for the U.S. civil nuclear industry to support America’s growing energy demands, bolster national security, and reinforce America’s leadership in energy innovation.”

    On Friday, May 23, President Trump signed four executive orders to strengthen the American nuclear industrial base, expedite deployment of advanced nuclear technologies for national security, streamline testing on Department of Energy sites, and modernize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

    As a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Risch is a leading voice on energy policy in the U.S. Senate. President Trump’s executive orders build on several priorities Risch has spearhead, including:

    • Promoting American Nuclear Exports: Risch led his colleagues in introducing the International Nuclear Energy Act to prioritize American dominance in nuclear energy and offset China and Russia’s growing influence on international nuclear energy development.

    • Fostering Nuclear Innovation: Risch co-founded the Senate Advanced Nuclear Caucus to amplify and support emerging nuclear technologies like those being developed at the Idaho National Laboratory. In a recent Washington Times editorial, Risch underscored the critical role of nuclear energy in powering America’s current and future energy needs.

    • Accelerating New Nuclear: Risch is a strong proponent of domestic nuclear energy production and the commercialization of advanced nuclear technologies, and has introduced legislation to accelerate new nuclear investment.

    • Reinvigorating the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Risch was a leader in passing legislation to develop a domestic nuclear fuel supply chain and end U.S. reliance on Russian uranium.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Meets With Canadian Prime Minister Carney Regarding Trade

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    Senator Part of First Bipartisan Delegation to Meet with a Canadian Prime Minister in Canada in Five Years   
    Canadian Prime Minister and Klobuchar also talked ongoing women’s pro hockey finals with Minnesota Frost and Ottawa Charge tied in series 
    MINNESOTA— Today, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar met with newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa to discuss rebuilding trade relations with Canada. This meeting came at a critical time in response to the ongoing tariff issues between the two countries since Donald Trump assessed tariffs on Canada and other nations Klobuchar was one of a bipartisan group of five U.S. senators, and the first group of lawmakers to meet with a prime minister in Canada in five years.
    Joining Klobuchar were Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Tim Kaine, Kevin Cramer, and Peter Welch.
    Senator Klobuchar is Co-Chair of the Canada-U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group along with Republican Senator Cramer of North Dakota.  
    “Canada is Minnesota’s neighbor, top trading partner and close friend. We share a deep bond grounded in trust and a shared commitment to democracy,” said Klobuchar. “I also made clear there is bipartisan commitment to restoring stability, credibility, and sanity to our trade policy with Canada.”
    In addition to discussing tariffs, Klobuchar also commended the Prime Minister for his decision to spend an hour with the bipartisan delegation and focus on issues ranging from tourism to energy policy.
    When discussing the ongoing women’s pro hockey finals between the Minnesota Frost and the Ottawa Charge, she noted to Prime Minister Carney that diplomacy can only go so far: “Go Minnesota Frost,” she said. 
    Klobuchar and her colleagues also met with Foreign Minister Anita Anand, Minister of National Defense David McGuinty, Minister of Industry Mélanie Joly, the Business Council of Canada, and other leading Canadian companies and business groups. 
    This week, Klobuchar joined Cramer and Kaine in introducing a bipartisan resolution to recognize the U.S.-Canada partnership and its shared interests in economic, energy and critical minerals, and national security.
    In April, Klobuchar’s bipartisan resolution with Kaine and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) to reverse President Trump’s across-the-board tariffs on Canadian goods passed the Senate. 
    Photos available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman García Votes Against Trump’s Tax Scam

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Jesús Chuy García (IL-04)

    WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04) issued the following statement after voting against Trump’s Tax Scam:

    “Republicans rammed through their Tax Scam in the dead of the night because they know the truth: this bill is a handout to billionaires at the expense of working families.  

    “The bill is cruel, harmful, and deliberate. The largest cut to healthcare and food assistance in U.S. history! Republicans ripped away care from children, seniors, and people with disabilities—just to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.

    “Nearly 14 million people will lose their health care. Millions more will have to pay higher premiums. In my district alone, 278,000 people who rely on Medicaid are at risk. 

    “The bill redirects nearly $80 billion to Trump’s mass deportation machine while terrorizing immigrants and imposing a new tax on non-citizens’ remittances.

    “I voted no. I stand with working families, not billionaires and bullies.”

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Larsen Releases Statement on Trump’s Attacks on Education

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

    Today, Rep. Rick Larsen released the following statement on the Trump administration’s attacks on academic freedom and access to education:

    “The Trump administration is attacking colleges and universities to exact political revenge. These tactics will fail, and I stand with Harvard and all educational institutions against the President’s unlawful attempts to bully his opponents into silence.

    “The Administration should be investing in research and young people to keep the U.S. globally innovative and competitive. Instead, it is slashing funding that supports cutting-edge science, hard-working students and local jobs.

    “In Northwest Washington, funding cuts have jeopardized climate resiliency research at the University of Washington and Mars sample testing at Western Washington University. Funding cuts are also threatening the Federal TRIO Programs and Pell Grants, which have a proven track record of helping low-income and first-generation students succeed.

    “I will continue to fight against the Trump administration’s budget cuts, and to fight for academic freedom, college affordability, and keeping the U.S. globally innovative and competitive.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden, Hoyle Push for Federal Disaster Declaration in Response to Severe Flooding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    May 23, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, alongside U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (OR-04), are calling for swift approval of Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The push comes in response to devastating flooding and other damaging weather-related events that severely impacted Coos, Curry, Douglas, and Harney counties in March.
    “Given the extent of the damage to both physical and social infrastructure across four counties, we urge you and your administration to act swiftly to ensure that State and Local governments have all the federal resources they need to recover and rebuild,” the lawmakers said in their letter to President Trump.
    The wide-ranging weather triggered several incidents from the South Coast to Eastern Oregon between March 13 and March 20, as warm rains led to rapid snowmelt that contributed to severe runoff and erosion. Three rivers reached major flood levels, and wind gusts of over 45 miles per hour caused power outages and blocked roads.
    In Harney County, a critical levee system protecting the City of Burns and members of the Burns Paiute Tribe failed, causing floodwaters to rapidly increase and inundate homes and agricultural fields.
    “Local leaders, first responders, volunteers, and neighbors stepped up heroically to protect lives and begin recovery efforts across Coos, Curry, Douglas, and Harney Counties. These are close- knit, self-reliant communities that have banded together to recover from these severe weather events and support one another,” the lawmakers stressed. “We encourage your administration to deliver the tools needed to protect lives, restore order, and get families back on their feet.”
    In addition to supporting the Governor’s request for Public Assistance (PA) to help communities in all four counties quickly recover from this disaster, the letter from lawmakers calls on FEMA to provide support to eligible individuals and households in Coos, Curry, and Douglas affected by the disaster through the Individual Assistance (IA) program.  
    They also urged the White House to make the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) available statewide for this event to help rural communities rebuild in a way that mitigates future disaster losses.
    “Oregon has demonstrated its ability to successfully use federal disaster dollars in the past, and we are confident they will be effective and efficient with funds from FEMA should they be provided for this disaster as well,” emphasized the lawmakers.
    Full text of the letter can be found by clicking HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Merkley, Wyden Press for Federal Support in Harney County’s Flooding Recovery

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    May 23, 2025
    Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are calling on President Trump to urgently approve Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s request for Individual Assistance (IA) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the Harney County community as they continue to recover from the worst flooding the region has seen in nearly 70 years.
    The flooding left hundreds of rural homes damaged and overwhelmed the City of Burns’ sewer system which required many residents to leave their homes to use portable toilets or travel to the next town to shower. Today, many of these homes remain contaminated due to the raw sewage that washed through the floors and along the walls.
    “Raging waters damaged homes and small businesses and created dangerous health conditions,” the Senators wrote in their letter to the White House.
    At the height of the flood on April 7 of this year, more than 1,400 people were advised to evacuate their homes in Burns and the Burns Paiute Reservation. This was a significant part of Harney County’s population, which is only around 7,400. The Senators also noted that this flood comes on the heels of other natural disasters in the region, including wildfires and severe drought.
    “The combined toll of these events has pushed many rural Oregonians to the brink,” the Senators stressed. “While the people of Harney County are resilient and deeply rooted in the values of hard work and self-reliance, they also rely on government at all levels to fulfill its basic duty in times of crisis.”
    The scale of the disaster in Harney County, combined with limited local resources, has left many rural Oregonians without the means to rebuild on their own—making Individual Assistance through FEMA critical.
    “Smart, targeted federal aid can make a lasting difference – especially when delivered in cooperation with local officials who know their communities best,” the Senators closed.
    The full text of the Senator’s letter can be found by clicking HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mrvan Statement on Nippon Steel

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank J. Mrvan (IN)

    Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Frank J. Mrvan released the statement below following the announcement regarding Nippon Steel.

    “From the very beginning of this proposed acquisition, I was steadfast in voicing serious concerns about the implications of foreign ownership – particularly Nippon Steel’s record on trade practices – and the critical importance of preserving American control over our steel production, which is vital to our national security.

    “In the months since, as the Vice Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus, I’ve listened closely to the many voices raised across the political spectrum, including from the prior administration and the Trump Administration.  It is clear that this unified front of concern and advocacy played a crucial role in shaping the terms, incentives, and safeguards now in place.

    “Thanks to this persistent and bipartisan pressure, we are in a stronger, more secure position today than we were at the time of the initial announcement.  But let me be clear: this is not the end of our oversight.  Nippon Steel must be held to every promise made – from promises to the hardworking steelworkers of Northwest Indiana and the City of Gary, to the economic and strategic interests of the United States.  We will not hesitate to act if those commitments are broken.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –