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Category: Donald Trump

  • MIL-OSI USA: 5 Things to Know About Powerful New U.S.-India Satellite, NISAR

    Source: NASA

    Data from NISAR will map changes to Earth’s surface, helping improve crop management, natural hazard monitoring, and tracking of sea ice and glaciers.
    A new U.S.-India satellite called NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) will provide high-resolution data enabling scientists to comprehensively monitor the planet’s land and ice surfaces like never before, building a detailed record of how they shift over time. Hailed as a critical part of a pioneering year for U.S.-India civil space cooperation by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi during their visit in Washington in February, the NISAR launch will advance U.S.-India cooperation and benefit the U.S. in the areas of disaster response and agriculture.
    As the first joint satellite mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), NISAR marks a new chapter in the growing collaboration between the two space agencies. Years in the making, the launch of NISAR builds on a strong heritage of successful programs, including Chandrayaan-1 and the recent Axiom Mission 4, which saw ISRO and NASA astronauts living and working together aboard the International Space Station for the first time.
    The information NISAR provides will help decision-makers, communities, and scientists monitor agricultural fields, refine understanding of natural hazards such as landslides and earthquakes, and help teams prepare for and respond to disasters like hurricanes, floods, and volcanic eruptions. The satellite will also provide key global observations of changes to ice sheets, glaciers, and permafrost, as well as forests and wetlands.
    The NISAR mission is slated to launch no earlier than July 30 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on India’s southeastern coast aboard an ISRO Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.
    Here are five things to know about NISAR:
    1. The NISAR satellite will provide a 3D view of Earth’s land and ice.
    Two synthetic aperture radars (SARs) aboard NISAR will detect changes in the planet’s surface down to fractions of an inch. The spacecraft will bounce microwave signals off Earth’s surface and receive the return signals on a radar antenna reflector measuring 39 feet (12 meters) across. The satellite’s ability to “see” through clouds and light rain, day and night, will enable data users to continuously monitor earthquake- and landslide-prone areas and determine how quickly glaciers and ice sheets are changing. It also will offer unprecedented coverage of Antarctica, information that will help with studying how the continent’s ice sheet changes over time.
    2. Data from NISAR will provide critical insights to help governments and decision-makers plan for natural and human-caused hazards.
    Earthquakes, volcanoes, and aging infrastructure can pose risks to lives and property. Able to see subtle changes in Earth’s surface, NISAR can help with hazard-monitoring efforts and potentially give decision-makers more time to prepare for a possible disaster. For earthquakes, NISAR will provide insights into which parts of a fault slowly move without producing quakes and which are locked together and could potentially slip. The satellite will be able to monitor the area around thousands of volcanoes, detecting land movement that could be a precursor to an eruption. When it comes to infrastructure such as levees, aqueducts, and dams, NISAR data collected over time can help managers detect if nearby land motion could jeopardize key structures, and then assess the integrity of those facilities.
    3. The most advanced radar system ever launched as part of a NASA or ISRO mission, NISAR will generate more data on a daily basis than any previous Earth satellite from either agency.
    About the length of a pickup truck, NISAR’s main body contains a dual-radar payload — an L-band system with a 10-inch (25-centimeter) wavelength and an S-band system with a 4-inch (10-centimeter) wavelength. Each system is sensitive to land and ice features of different sizes and specializes in detecting certain attributes, such as moisture content, surface roughness, and motion. By including both radars on one spacecraft — a first — NISAR will be more capable than previous SAR missions. These two radars, one from NASA and one from ISRO, and the data they will produce, exemplify how collaboration between spacefaring allies can achieve more than either would alone.

    The radars will generate about 80 terabytes of data products per day over the course of NISAR’s prime mission. That’s roughly enough data to fill about 150 512-gigabyte hard drives each day. The information will be processed, stored, and distributed via the cloud — and accessible to all.

    4. The NISAR mission will help monitor ecosystems around the world.
    The mission’s two radars will monitor Earth’s land and ice-covered surfaces twice every 12 days. Their near-comprehensive coverage will include areas not previously covered by other Earth-observing radar satellites with such frequency. The NISAR satellite’s L-band radar penetrates deep into forest canopies, providing insights into forest structure, while the S-band radar is ideal for monitoring crops. The NISAR data will help researchers assess how forests, wetlands, agricultural areas, and permafrost change over time.
    5. The NISAR mission marks the first collaboration between NASA and ISRO on a project of this scale and marks the next step in a long line of Earth-observing SAR missions.
    The NISAR satellite features components developed on opposite sides of the planet by engineers from ISRO and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory working together. The S-band radar was built at ISRO’s Space Applications Centre in Ahmedabad, while JPL built the L-band radar in Southern California. After engineers from JPL and ISRO integrated NISAR’s instruments with a modified ISRO I3K spacecraft bus and tested the satellite, ISRO transported NISAR to Satish Dhawan Space Centre in May 2025 to prepare it for launch.
    The SAR technique was invented in the U.S. in 1952 and now countries around the globe have SAR satellites for a variety of missions. NASA first used the technique with a space-based satellite in 1978 on the ocean-observing Seasat, which included the first spaceborne SAR instrument for scientific observations. In 2012, ISRO began launching SAR missions starting with Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1), followed by RISAT-1A in 2022, to support a wide range of applications in India.
    More About NISAR
    Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, JPL leads the U.S. component of the project and provided the L-band SAR. JPL also provided the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center manages the Near Space Network, which will receive NISAR’s L-band data.
    The ISRO Space Applications Centre is providing the mission’s S-band SAR. The U R Rao Satellite Centre is providing the spacecraft bus. The rocket is from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, launch services are through Satish Dhawan Space Centre, and satellite mission operations are by the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network. The National Remote Sensing Centre is responsible for S-band data reception, operational products generation, and dissemination.
    To learn more about NISAR, visit:
    https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov/

    News Media Contacts
    Andrew Wang / Jane J. LeeJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.626-379-6874 / 626-491-1943andrew.wang@jpl.nasa.gov / jane.j.lee@jpl.nasa.gov
    2025-090

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) Statement on the Peace Agreement Between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Congo River Alliance/M23

    Source: APO


    .

    Africa CDC welcomes the signing of the Declaration of Principles on 19 July 2025 between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance/M23. Africa CDC echoes the appreciation expressed by H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and applaud the political courage of all parties for choosing dialogue over confrontation, declaring a ceasefire, and embracing a future built on stability.

    Africa CDC expresses profound gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and the State of Qatar, as well as to President Donald Trump and the Government of the United States, for their unwavering support to the Doha and Washington processes. We equally commend the tireless leadership of H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, Chairperson of the African Union and Champion for Peace and Reconciliation, and H.E. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé, President of Togo and AU-appointed Mediator for the Great Lakes. Africa CDC salutes the determination of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame to steer the region toward a future of peace.

    Between 2022 and 2024, Africa experienced a 41% surge in public health emergencies, with the eastern DRC and Great Lakes region at the epicenter—battling recurring outbreaks of Mpox, cholera, Marburg virus, Ebola, and measles. These crises have been compounded by 30 years of violence, insecurity, and displacement.

    As the African autonomous public health agency, Africa CDC has consistently called for peace, including in a letter to African Heads of State on 1 February 2025 urging urgent action to safeguard lives and restore stability in the region. https://africacdc.org/news-item/africa-cdc-urges-immediate-action-to-protect-lives-amid-escalatinghealth-and-security-crises/

    Africa CDC reaffirms that peace and health are inextricably linked. A comprehensive health component must be fully embedded in the Doha and Washington processes, ensuring the safe return of displaced populations, the restoration of essential health services, the access of essential commodities, the strengthening of disease surveillance, and the rebuilding of local health systems. Mandated by the African Union Heads of State, Africa CDC stands ready to support the implementation of the health pillar of the Doha and Washington agreements in full partnership with African governments, Qatar, the United States, and all other partners and stakeholders. As we mark this historic step, Africa CDC joins the call for global recognition of this remarkable diplomatic milestone. If this process yields lasting peace, the people of Africa will remember the leadership and courage of President Donald Trump and His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who chose to bring hope to a region that has endured unimaginable suffering for far too long.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – A declaration of principles was signed in Doha between the Congolese government and the M23 to end the war

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23/Congo River Alliance (AFC) guerrillas signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in Doha, Qatar, to end the war in the east of the country.”The parties reaffirm their commitment to a permanent ceasefire, which includes the prohibition of attacks of any kind, the dissemination of hate propaganda or incitement to violence, and any attempt to seize or modify positions by force on the ground,” states the document signed by both parties. Furthermore, the signing of the final peace agreement is scheduled for August 17, also in Doha.The Doha Declaration follows the agreement signed in Washington on June 27 between the Congolese government and the Rwandan government, sponsor of the AFC/M23 (see Fides, 27/6/2025).The United States and Qatar have coordinated their diplomacy with the aim of ending 30 years of war in eastern DRC, a conflict that worsened in 2021 with the resumption of hostilities by the M23, the strongest and most organized of the nearly 100 armed groups operating in the region.The intervention of President Trump’s administration aspires to win the Nobel Peace Prize by mediating this and other conflicts around the world: as the Congolese newspaper Le Potentiel points out, the United States “without firing a single shot, gains strategic access to a significant portion of Congo’s minerals in exchange for a promise of peace. A peace that is paid for, vague, and lacking a true transformative impulse for the populations.”In fact, as Fides reported after the signing of the Washington agreements, the population of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, currently occupied by M23 troops, is still waiting for concrete signs that would give them hope that peace will become a reality (see Fides, 1/7/2025). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 21/7/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – A declaration of principles was signed in Doha between the Congolese government and the M23 to end the war

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23/Congo River Alliance (AFC) guerrillas signed a declaration of principles on July 19 in Doha, Qatar, to end the war in the east of the country.”The parties reaffirm their commitment to a permanent ceasefire, which includes the prohibition of attacks of any kind, the dissemination of hate propaganda or incitement to violence, and any attempt to seize or modify positions by force on the ground,” states the document signed by both parties. Furthermore, the signing of the final peace agreement is scheduled for August 17, also in Doha.The Doha Declaration follows the agreement signed in Washington on June 27 between the Congolese government and the Rwandan government, sponsor of the AFC/M23 (see Fides, 27/6/2025).The United States and Qatar have coordinated their diplomacy with the aim of ending 30 years of war in eastern DRC, a conflict that worsened in 2021 with the resumption of hostilities by the M23, the strongest and most organized of the nearly 100 armed groups operating in the region.The intervention of President Trump’s administration aspires to win the Nobel Peace Prize by mediating this and other conflicts around the world: as the Congolese newspaper Le Potentiel points out, the United States “without firing a single shot, gains strategic access to a significant portion of Congo’s minerals in exchange for a promise of peace. A peace that is paid for, vague, and lacking a true transformative impulse for the populations.”In fact, as Fides reported after the signing of the Washington agreements, the population of Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu, currently occupied by M23 troops, is still waiting for concrete signs that would give them hope that peace will become a reality (see Fides, 1/7/2025). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 21/7/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: THREE SANTA ROSA COUNTY MEN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR THEIR ROLES IN DRUG TRAFFICKING OPERATION

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – David Kennedy, 41; Michael McQueen, 51; and Roosevelt Jones, 52, of Milton, Florida, were sentenced to federal prison for trafficking in controlled substances in Santa Rosa County, Florida. The sentences were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.

    “Working with our state and local partners, federal law enforcement was able to dismantle a significant drug trafficking ring that plagued Santa Rosa County for years,” stated United States Attorney Heekin.  “We are pleased with this successful operation, in particular, because all three men are repeat drug trafficking offenders. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to Take Back America by cracking down on the drug traffickers plaguing our communities, and my office will not stop aggressively pursuing those who seek to victimize our citizens by flooding our streets with poisonous drugs.”   

    Court documents reflect that covert undercover purchases of illegal drugs, as well as surveillance and judicially authorized wiretap intercepts of telephone communications, enabled law enforcement to execute multiple search warrants in Milton that led to the seizure of cocaine, pure methamphetamine, fentanyl, and marijuana.  In addition, law enforcement seized firearms and illicitly derived United States currency.

    David Kennedy was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

    Michael McQueen was sentenced to 11½ years in federal prison to be followed by 6 years of supervised release.

    Roosevelt Jones was sentenced to 6½ years in federal prison to be followed by 6 years of supervised release.  

    “Partnerships are key to disrupting drug trafficking activity, and we have great partners,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Our communities will be safer with these drug peddlers off the streets.”

    “The successful collaboration between the federal, state, local agencies, and our Narcotics Detectives has been instrumental in removing dangerous drugs from our streets,” said Sheriff Bob Johnson, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office. “More importantly, this joint effort led to the arrest of key drug dealers, ensuring they are held accountable for their actions and making our communities safer.”

    The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office; the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; the Pensacola Police Department; the Gulf Breeze Police Department; and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 

    The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.  To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: PBS and NPR are generally unbiased, independent of government propaganda and provide key benefits to US democracy

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin, Frank and Bethine Church Endowed Chair of Public Affairs, Boise State University

    Congress’ cuts to public broadcasting will diminish the range and volume of the free press and the independent reporting it provides. MicroStockHub-iStock/Getty Images Plus

    Champions of the almost entirely party-line vote in the U.S. Senate to erase US$1.1 billion in already approved funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting called their action a refusal to subsidize liberal media.

    “Public broadcasting has long been overtaken by partisan activists,” said U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, insisting there is no need for government to fund what he regards as biased media. “If you want to watch the left-wing propaganda, turn on MSNBC,” Cruz said.

    Accusing the media of liberal bias has been a consistent conservative complaint since the civil rights era, when white Southerners insisted news outlets were slanting their stories against segregation. During his presidential campaign in 1964, U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona complained that the media was against him, an accusation that has been repeated by every Republican presidential candidate since.

    But those charges of bias rarely survive empirical scrutiny.

    As chair of a public policy institute devoted to strengthening deliberative democracy, I have written two books about the media and the presidency, and another about media ethics. My research traces how news institutions shape civic life and why healthy democracies rely on journalism that is independent of both market pressure and partisan talking points.

    That independence in the United States – enshrined in the press freedom clause of the First Amendment – gives journalists the ability to hold government accountable, expose abuses of power and thereby support democracy.

    GOP Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to reporters as Senate Republicans vote on President Donald Trump’s request to cancel about $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting spending on July 16, 2025.
    AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

    Trusting independence

    Ad Fontes Media, a self-described “public benefit company” whose mission is to rate media for credibility and bias, have placed the reporting of “PBS NewsHour” under 10 points left of the ideological center. They label it as both “reliable” and based in “analysis/fact.” “Fox and Friends,” by contrast, the popular morning show on Fox News, is nearly 20 points to the right. The scale starts at zero and runs 42 points to the left to measure progressive bias and 42 points to the right to measure conservative bias. Ratings are provided by three-person panels comprising left-, right- and center-leaning reviewers.

    A 2020 peer-reviewed study in Science Advances that tracked more than 6,000 political reporters likewise found “no evidence of liberal media bias” in the stories they chose to cover, even though most journalists are more left-leaning than the rest of the population.

    A similar 2016 study published in Public Opinion Quarterly said that media are more similar than dissimilar and, excepting political scandals, “major
    news organizations present topics in a largely nonpartisan manner,
    casting neither Democrats nor Republicans in a particularly favorable
    or unfavorable light    .”

    Surveys show public media’s audiences do not see it as biased. A national poll of likely voters released July 14, 2025, found that 53% of respondents trust public media to report news “fully, accurately and fairly,” while only 35% extend that trust to “the media in general.” A majority also opposed eliminating federal support.

    Contrast these numbers with attitudes about public broadcasters such as MTVA in Hungary or the TVP in Poland, where the state controls most content. Protests in Budapest October 2024 drew thousands demanding an end to “propaganda.” Oxford’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism reports that TVP is the least trusted news outlet in the country.

    While critics sometimes conflate American public broadcasting with state-run outlets, the structures are very different.

    Safeguards for editorial freedom

    In state-run media systems, a government agency hires editors, dictates coverage and provides full funding from the treasury. Public officials determine – or make up – what is newsworthy. Individual media operations survive only so long as the party in power is happy.

    Public broadcasting in the U.S. works in almost exactly the opposite way: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private nonprofit with a statutory “firewall” that forbids political interference.

    More than 70% of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s federal appropriation for 2025 of US$1.1 billion flows through to roughly 1,500 independently governed local stations, most of which are NPR or PBS affiliates but some of which are unaffiliated community broadcasters. CPB headquarters retains only about 5% of that federal funding.

    Stations survive by combining this modest federal grant money with listener donations, underwriting and foundation support. That creates a diversified revenue mix that further safeguards their editorial freedom.

    And while stations share content, each also has latitude when it comes to programming and news coverage, especially at the local level.

    As a public-private partnership, individual communities mostly own the public broadcasting system and its affiliate stations. Congress allocates funds, while community nonprofits, university boards, state authorities or other local license holders actually own and run the stations. Individual monthly donors are often called “members” and sometimes have voting rights in station-governance matters. Membership contributions make up the largest share of revenue for most stations, providing another safeguard for editorial independence.

    A host and guest in July 2024 sit inside a recording studio at KMXT, the public radio station on Kodiak Island in Alaska.
    Nathaniel Herz/Northern Journal

    Broadly shared civic commons

    And then there are public media’s critical benefits to democracy itself.

    A 2021 report from the European Broadcasting Union links public broadcasting with higher voter turnout, better factual knowledge and lower susceptibility to extremist rhetoric.

    Experts warn that even small cuts will exacerbate an already pernicious problem with political disinformation in the U.S., as citizens lose access to free information that fosters media literacy and encourages trust across demographics.

    In many ways, public media remains the last broadly shared civic commons. It is both commercial-free and independently edited.

    Another study, by the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School in 2022, affirmed that “countries with independent and well-funded public broadcasting systems also consistently have stronger democracies.”

    The study highlighted how public media works to bridge divides and foster understanding across polarized groups. Unlike commercial media, where the profit motive often creates incentives to emphasize conflict and sensationalism, public media generally seeks to provide balanced perspectives that encourage dialogue and mutual respect. Reports are often longer and more in-depth than those by other news outlets.

    Such attention to nuance provides a critical counterweight to the fragmented, often hyperpartisan news bubbles that pervade cable news and social media. And this skillful, more balanced treatment helps to ameliorate political polarization and misinformation.

    In all, public media’s unique structure and mission make democracy healthier in the U.S. and across the world. Public media prioritizes education and civic enlightenment. It gives citizens important tools for navigating complex issues to make informed decisions – whether those decisions are about whom to vote for or about public policy itself. Maintaining and strengthening public broadcasting preserves media diversity and advances important principles of self-government.

    Congress’ cuts to public broadcasting will diminish the range and volume of the free press and the independent reporting it provides. Ronald Reagan once described a free press as vital for the United States to succeed in its “noble experiment in self-government.” From that perspective, more independent reporting – not less – will prove the best remedy for any worry about partisan spin.

    Stephanie A. (Sam) Martin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. PBS and NPR are generally unbiased, independent of government propaganda and provide key benefits to US democracy – https://theconversation.com/pbs-and-npr-are-generally-unbiased-independent-of-government-propaganda-and-provide-key-benefits-to-us-democracy-261512

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Sues Trump Administration Over Cruel Directive Unlawfully Restricting Access to Head Start, Other Public Benefit Programs

    Source: US State of California

    Statute and longstanding federal policy have allowed access, regardless of immigration status, to specific community programs, including those deemed necessary for protection of life or safety 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today sued the Trump Administration over its abrupt decision to restrict access to more than a dozen public benefit programs based on immigration status. This decision is contrary to law and a reversal of nearly three decades of federal practice allowing access, regardless of immigration status, to certain public benefits programs that have historically been determined to protect life or safety and contribute to the overall welfare of communities. In doing so, the Trump Administration has thrown programs across California into chaos and cruelly jeopardized the health and wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable families. At risk is access to Head Start, childcare services for low-income people, adult education, mental health and substance use disorder programs, and shelters for at-risk youth and domestic violence survivors, among many other safety-net programs. Attorney General Bonta, alongside a coalition of 20 other attorneys general, asks the court to enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing this devastating change, arguing that these new polices threaten the outright collapse of the states’ social safety nets.

    “Let’s be clear: This latest salvo in the President’s inhumane anti-immigration campaign primarily goes after working moms and their young children. We’re not talking about waste, fraud, and abuse, we’re talking about programs that deliver essential childcare, healthcare, nutrition, and education assistance, programs that have for decades been open to all because we understand that we are better off when everyone has the chance to succeed.” said Attorney General Bonta. “The Trump Administration’s abrupt reversal of nearly three decades of precedent – and decision to put at risk not just support for undocumented families, but ultimately families who rely on these programs nationwide – is cruel, but unfortunately unsurprising. So is its lack of regard for the law. Six months into the second Trump Administration, I’ll repeat a familiar refrain: We’ll see President Trump in court.” 

    Since 1997, the federal government has interpreted The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) to permit states’ use of federal funds for certain programs that serve communities based on need regardless of immigration status. These programs work precisely because there are few barriers to access and include: 

    • Short-term shelter or housing assistance for people who are unhoused, for survivors of domestic violence, or for at-risk youth.
    • Programs, services, or assistance to help individuals during periods of heat, cold, or other adverse weather conditions (e.g., cooling centers).
    • Soup kitchens, community food banks, senior nutrition programs such as meals on wheels, and other such community nutritional services for persons requiring special assistance.
    • Medical and public health services (including treatment and prevention of diseases and injuries) and mental health, disability, or substance use treatment. 
    • Early childhood education, childcare services for low-income people, and adult education programs.

    Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, and Department of Education issued notices related to the interpretation of “federal public benefit” under PRWORA restricting numerous “noncitizens” from receiving benefits under federally funded programs. Around the same time, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued its own notice revoking every one of the “life or safety” exemptions that DOJ had put in place 29 years earlier. 

    In California, the effects of these actions will be devastating – and immediate. The Head Start Program, founded in 1965, was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing young children from families with low incomes a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and educational needs. In 2023-24, California’s 100 direct Head Start regional recipients served over 80,345 children and families at 1,842 individual site locations. The Trump Administration’s new polices, which will require programs to verify immigration status, are expected to have a chilling effect, leading to decreased enrollment from participants, and an administrative and financial burden for recipients. Moreover, if regional recipients do not hit mandatory 97% enrollment targets, they will lose federal funding and these programs will shut down, harming all the children they serve, as well as the more than 25,000 staff members these programs employ, including in rural communities where Head Start is often a large employer.  

    Examples like this are countless across the public benefits programs at risk through the Trump Administration’s actions. Survivors of domestic violence and at-risk youth may be fearful of seeking services at shelters. Mixed status families may forgo access to public benefit services all together. Requiring citizenship or immigration status verification of any kind fundamentally creates a barrier to access. People will be reluctant to reach out to access needed services or to call for help for others who might benefit from such services. And requiring programs to expend resources to implement systems and train staff to verify citizenship or immigration status will impose a time and resource burden on programs already struggling to operate on narrow financial margins.

    In today’s filings, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that the Trump Administration’s abrupt announcement further limiting access to public benefit programs for undocumented individuals fails to provide notice and an opportunity to comment, is arbitrary and capricious, and contrary to law in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, and fails to give the states “fair notice” as required under the Spending Clause. They highlight that instead of saving money, the new verification requirements will lead to an overall cost to their states’ economies in the amount of hundreds of millions of dollars each year and will endanger the ability of these programs to continue providing services to all of the residents of their states, not just noncitizens. They urge the court to preliminary enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing the order to prevent programs from shuttering, uncertainty, and tremendous impacts on the public health, education, and welfare of their states.

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of New York, Washington, Rhode Island, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Wisconsin in filing the lawsuit.  

    A copy of the lawsuit is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: “A Big Difference”: Trump Administration’s Tomato Tariffs Already a Game Changer for American Farmers

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    In a decisive move to protect American agriculture and restore fairness, the Trump Administration’s tariffs on fresh Mexican tomato imports are already boosting American farmers, growers, and business owners.
    Here’s what they’re saying:
    Chad Smith, Smith Tomato Farm (Steele, AL): “It’s only been two days now, and we actually have a lot more calls of people having interest in doing business — and the price hasn’t even changed.”
    Matt Rudd, Rudd Family Farm (Browns Summit, NC): “What you see in the grocery store now, instead of all those tomatoes from Mexico and everywhere else, it should be more local and United States-grown — where we can compete with those prices.”
    Rich Troccio, Bloomfield Groceria (Pittsburgh, PA): “It will not bother me if he put a 50% tariff on Mexico. It wouldn’t bother me because I don’t buy from there. It’s just the way I am. As long as it’s something grown here, this is where I want to buy my product.”
    Sam Newell, Fruit Fair (Chicopee, MA): “It’s a win-win for the community and us. Having tariffs on imported goods gives us a more level playing field.”
    Mark Reuben, Gilcrease Orchard (Las Vegas, NV): “We won’t raise our price, so it will stay $1.50/pound, which is what we charge.”
    Logan Duvall, Me and McGee Market (Little Rock, AR): “I can’t see how the tariffs are going to be negative on us at all. Being as tomatoes are a massive part of what we do, and we see the impact when that money goes directly to our farmers in our community versus a multinational conglomerate — it’s a big difference.”
    Steve Longmire, Tennessee Homegrown Tomatoes (Rutledge, TN): “In the fall and wintertime, we have to count on — and, you know, the nation does — tomatoes in the warmer climates, so that’s where it’s going to be a good thing for the farmer. Hopefully more of their tomatoes are going to sell at a little bit better price because of the tariff on the imports.”
    Patty Morgan, Grainger County (TN) Tomato Festival: “It’s a huge industry in our county.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Scholten, Salazar, and Escobar Reintroduce Historic Bipartisan Immigration Legislation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Hillary Scholten (D-MI), alongside U.S. Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX), announced the reintroduction of the Dignity Act of 2025, a historic, bipartisan immigration reform bill. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Mike Levin (D-CA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Adam Grey (D-CA), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Andriano Espaillat (D-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), David Valadao (R-CA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Young Kim (R-CA) also co-sponsored the bill.

    This historic bipartisan legislation would address border security and infrastructure challenges, tackle critical workforce development issues, create legal status for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States, establish new pathways for asylum seekers, and create new legal pathways for economic migrants and unaccompanied minors.

    “As an attorney who has worked on immigration issues, both at the nation’s top law enforcement agency and at a community legal aid organization, helping migrants in West Michigan, I know this system. I’ve seen firsthand what patchwork and reactionary immigration policies do to families and communities, and I remain committed to creating a system that is both fair and humane, balancing humanitarian concerns with law enforcement. Our broken immigration system is a national security threat, an economic and workforce emergency, and a humanitarian crisis. This is Congress’s issue to solve, and we’re here to solve it,” said Rep. Scholten. “Congress must act now to reform our immigration system. It’s time to allow hardworking families to move out of the shadows and into the full light of the American dream. This bipartisan bill will make our communities and our country safer, bring our workforce into the 21st century, and bring dignity to millions of hardworking families already living in the United States to make our country a better place.”

    This comprehensive bill makes meaningful reforms to several aspects of our immigration system: 

    • Provides a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers
    • It creates the Dignity Program to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants already living in the United States;
    • It establishes new pathways for asylum seekers and creates new regional processing centers;
    • Enhances border security while creating additional accountability for ICE.

    The last time Congress passed immigration reform was in 1996, and that was driven by Republicans and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. That bill eliminated several legal immigration pathways, essentially making fewer people eligible for legal status while making more people deportable. Congress has had many opportunities to address this crisis. Over the last 10 years, 8 major pushes for immigration reform have failed:  

    • In 2013, the Senate on a bipartisan basis passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, but House Republicans refused to take up the bill.
    • In 2018, a bipartisan group of Senators advanced the Uniting and Securing America Act to protect Dreamers and provide a pathway to citizenship, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • Again in 2018, the Senate tried to advance the United and Securing America Act “Common Sense” Proposal Amendment, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • Yet again in 2018, the Uniting and Securing America Act made it to the Senate floor but was blocked.
    • In 2019, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • In 2021, the House again passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans again blocked it.
    • In 2021 and 2022, the President proposed record funding for more border agents, more asylum officers, more immigration judges, more border technology, and more detention capacity. Republicans in Congress failed to fund both requests.
    • In 2024, the Senate failed to pass bipartisan immigration and border security bills after President Trump called on Senate Republicans to abandon the bill so Republicans could campaign on the issue.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Scholten, Salazar, and Escobar Reintroduce Historic Bipartisan Immigration Legislation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Hillary Scholten – Michigan

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representatives Hillary Scholten (D-MI), alongside U.S. Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX), announced the reintroduction of the Dignity Act of 2025, a historic, bipartisan immigration reform bill. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Mike Levin (D-CA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Adam Grey (D-CA), Laura Gillen (D-NY), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), Andriano Espaillat (D-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), David Valadao (R-CA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Young Kim (R-CA) also co-sponsored the bill.

    This historic bipartisan legislation would address border security and infrastructure challenges, tackle critical workforce development issues, create legal status for undocumented immigrants already living in the United States, establish new pathways for asylum seekers, and create new legal pathways for economic migrants and unaccompanied minors.

    “As an attorney who has worked on immigration issues, both at the nation’s top law enforcement agency and at a community legal aid organization, helping migrants in West Michigan, I know this system. I’ve seen firsthand what patchwork and reactionary immigration policies do to families and communities, and I remain committed to creating a system that is both fair and humane, balancing humanitarian concerns with law enforcement. Our broken immigration system is a national security threat, an economic and workforce emergency, and a humanitarian crisis. This is Congress’s issue to solve, and we’re here to solve it,” said Rep. Scholten. “Congress must act now to reform our immigration system. It’s time to allow hardworking families to move out of the shadows and into the full light of the American dream. This bipartisan bill will make our communities and our country safer, bring our workforce into the 21st century, and bring dignity to millions of hardworking families already living in the United States to make our country a better place.”

    This comprehensive bill makes meaningful reforms to several aspects of our immigration system: 

    • Provides a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers
    • It creates the Dignity Program to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants already living in the United States;
    • It establishes new pathways for asylum seekers and creates new regional processing centers;
    • Enhances border security while creating additional accountability for ICE.

    The last time Congress passed immigration reform was in 1996, and that was driven by Republicans and signed into law by President Bill Clinton. That bill eliminated several legal immigration pathways, essentially making fewer people eligible for legal status while making more people deportable. Congress has had many opportunities to address this crisis. Over the last 10 years, 8 major pushes for immigration reform have failed:  

    • In 2013, the Senate on a bipartisan basis passed the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, but House Republicans refused to take up the bill.
    • In 2018, a bipartisan group of Senators advanced the Uniting and Securing America Act to protect Dreamers and provide a pathway to citizenship, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • Again in 2018, the Senate tried to advance the United and Securing America Act “Common Sense” Proposal Amendment, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • Yet again in 2018, the Uniting and Securing America Act made it to the Senate floor but was blocked.
    • In 2019, the House passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans blocked it.
    • In 2021, the House again passed the American Dream and Promise Act, but Senate Republicans again blocked it.
    • In 2021 and 2022, the President proposed record funding for more border agents, more asylum officers, more immigration judges, more border technology, and more detention capacity. Republicans in Congress failed to fund both requests.
    • In 2024, the Senate failed to pass bipartisan immigration and border security bills after President Trump called on Senate Republicans to abandon the bill so Republicans could campaign on the issue.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Sanders, Wyden Investigate Skydance’s Role in Potential Secret Trump Payoff Connected to Paramount Deal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    July 21, 2025

    Skydance reportedly set up secret side deal with Trump worth tens of millions more dollars, with potential Skydance/Paramount merger pending Trump admin approval

    “These reports raise fresh questions about corruption in the Trump Administration and President Trump’s willingness to accept payments from entities with significant policy interests before agencies he controls.”

    Text of Letter (PDF)

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) pressed David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Media, about reports of a secret deal between Skydance and President Trump — and how it may be related to Paramount’s recent multi-million-dollar settlement agreement with Trump. The settlement, which comes as Skydance and Paramount await approval from the Trump administration for their proposed mega-merger, has raised concerns about potential bribery.

    “These reports raise fresh questions about corruption in the Trump Administration and President Trump’s willingness to accept payments from entities with significant policy interests before agencies he controls,” wrote the senators.

    In May, following reports of a potential settlement in Paramount’s legal battle with President Trump, the senators wrote to the company with concerns that its attempt to settle President Trump’s “meritless” lawsuit for tens of millions of dollars, while approval for its $8 billion merger with Skydance is pending in front of the Trump administration, could be construed as bribery.

    Despite the senators’ warnings, on July 2, Paramount settled with President Trump for $16 million, at least part of which will go toward his Presidential Library fund. But President Trump himself revealed that the arrangement is worth more than the initially announced $16 million, leading to reports of a back-door deal with President Trump. Reporting suggests that a secret side deal with Skydance may include public service announcements “and other broadcast transmissions” worth between $15 million and $20 million that “support conservative causes supported by President Trump.”

    On July 17, CBS announced it was canceling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, just days after the host criticized Paramount’s $16 million settlement with President Trump on his show and said the deal resembled bribery.

    The senators asked Skydance to answer questions related to whether Skydance’s actions comply with federal anti-bribery laws, including about the contents of the secret deal with President Trump, whether the deal’s participants discussed the pending Paramount-Skydance transaction, and whether Skydance executives were involved in the decision to cancel The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, by August 4.

    The $16 million Paramount settlement will largely go straight to President Trump’s Presidential Library fund — along with the money from other settlements by tech and media companies, including ABC. Senator Warren, alongside Senator Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Representatives Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), last week introduced the Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act, new legislation to close loopholes that allow presidential libraries to be used as tools for corruption and bribery.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Huffman Statement on Interior Memo Targeting Clean Energy on Federal Lands

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

    July 17, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) issued a statement after the Department of the Interior released a memo ordering that all wind and solar energy projects on federal lands must now receive personal approval from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum:
     
    “This memo confirms what we’ve known all along: the Trump administration is deliberately sabotaging clean energy on our public lands. Trump and his fossil fuel allies are so desperate to prop up polluting industries that they’re forcing every single decision and permit for every solar and wind project through the Interior Secretary’s desk.
     
    “Let me be clear, this will drive up energy costs for American families and result in fewer jobs in communities that need them the most, in red and blue districts alike. Blocking wind and solar while China dominates the global clean energy market is nothing short of a surrender.
     
    “Republicans talk a big game about cutting red tape, but when clean energy threatens fossil fuel profits, they pile on bureaucracy. We are watching them slow-walk permits, rewrite definitions, and dismantle tax credits for renewables under the cover of executive orders and a budget bill so horrendous, it reads like it was written by Big Oil — all while the climate crisis fuels deadly heat waves, wildfires, and floods across the country.
     
    “House Republicans and this administration can try to stall our clean energy future, but they won’t stop Democrats from fighting for cleaner air, lower bills, and an economy that works for everyone.”

    ###

    Next Article Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Conaway, New Jersey Congressional Democrats Condemn Defense Secretary Hegseth’s Decision to Detain Undocumented Immigrants at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ), along with U.S. Representatives Herb Conaway Jr., MD (D-NJ-03), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12), Rob Menendez (D-NJ-08), Frank Pallone (D-NJ-06), Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ-10), and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05)—issued the following statement after Defense Secretary Hegseth announced his plan to use Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as a detention site for undocumented immigrants:

    “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the decision by the Trump Administration to use Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as an immigrant detention center. This is an inappropriate use of our national defense system and military resources. Escalating a radical immigration policy that has resulted in the inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and unlawful deportation of U.S. citizens, including children, across the country.

    “We call on our Republican colleagues in New Jersey to join us in urging this Administration to immediately reverse this action. Using our country’s military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness and paves the way for ICE immigration raids in every New Jersey community. We have the greatest military in the world and using it as a domestic political tool is unacceptable and shameful.”

    To read the letter Congressman Conaway received from Secretary of Defense Hegseth, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warner & Kaine Issue Statements After Trump Administration Heeds Demands to Release Funding for Boys and Girls Clubs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Virginia Tim Kaine

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, both D-VA, issued the following statements after the Trump Administration heeded their demands that release funding it was illegally withholding for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, including over $23 million for centers throughout Virginia, such as Boys and Girls clubs:

    “It’s about time that the Trump administration finally agreed to release federal funding for these vital community learning centers in Virginia and across the country,” said Warner. “Sadly, the truth of the matter is that these funds should never have been stalled. Holding back these investments put unnecessary strain on schools and families, jeopardizing critical support for children in need. Virginia’s kids deserve better.”

    “I had the chance to meet with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Southwest Virginia earlier this month to hear from them directly about how devastating the Trump Administration’s illegal withholding of critical funding would be for their ability to provide crucial educational programs for kids throughout Virginia,” said Kaine. “I informed my Senate colleagues of these disastrous cuts at a HELP committee hearing on Tuesday and urged Republican leaders to press the Trump Administration to reverse its devastating action. While I am glad to see the Trump Administration complied with our demands to release this funding, it never should have been withheld in the first place. It’s past time for the Administration to release the remaining $85 million it is still actively withholding from Virginia schools.”

    Warner and Kaine have repeatedly battled the Trump Administration over its illegal withholding of already-appropriated federal funding. On July 3, 2025, the senators issued a statement demanding that the Administration promptly release $108 million in funding for Virginia K-12 education—including money for teacher training, after-school programs, and mental health resources—that had already been duly appropriated by Congress. In the following weeks, Kaine met with local officials, parents, and leadership of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia in Vinton, Virginia; and with officials of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Washington, D.C. In April 2025, Warner and Kaine joined 40 of their congressional colleagues in excoriating the Trump Administration over its illegal funding freeze to Head Start programs on which thousands of families and children in Virginia rely.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Slams USDA Proposal to Share Sensitive Data of SNAP Participants

    Source: US State of California Department of Justice

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, leading a coalition of 14 attorneys general, slammed the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) demand that states turn over personal and sensitive information about millions of food stamp recipients, as well as its proposal to share that information with other federal agencies for purposes that have nothing to do with ensuring the integrity of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is a federally-funded, state-administered program providing billions of dollars in food assistance to tens of millions of low-income families across the country. SNAP applicants provide their private information to the states on the understanding, backed by long-standing state and federal laws, that their information will not be used for unrelated purposes. In a letter, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition argue that USDA’s unprecedented actions are unnecessary, inefficient, and unlawful.

    “The Trump Administration continues to wage war on some of the most vulnerable members of our communities, deploying invasive and unlawful tactics in the process to intimidate them from accessing services to which they are lawfully entitled,” said Attorney General Bonta. “No Californian should be faced with the choice of having enough to eat or protecting their fundamental right to privacy. As California Attorney General, I will continue to use every tool in the toolbox to push back against any attempts by this administration to upend the rights of Californians. I urge the Trump Administration to reverse course and abandon its unprecedented proposal to share SNAP data for purposes far beyond ensuring the integrity of this program.”

    Since President Trump re-entered the White House in January, public reports indicate that federal officials are amassing huge databases of personal information on Americans and using that data for undisclosed purposes, including immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security has already obtained troves of personal information from both the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Health and Human Services Agency, including private medical information and other personal details on Medicaid recipients, which California has already challenged in court. USDA’s attempts to collect data from states about SNAP applicants and recipients appear to be the next step in this campaign.  

    In May 2025, USDA made an unprecedented demand that states turn over massive amounts of personal information on all SNAP applicants and recipients, including social security numbers and home addresses, dating back five years. In June, USDA published a “System of Records Notice” stating that it intends to “leverage data-sharing across Federal and State systems to identify and rectify” improper payments, and to share information across the federal government, as directed by one of President Trump’s executive orders. 

    As the attorneys general explain in their comment letter, USDA’s actions are unprecedented, threaten the privacy of millions of families, and ignore long-standing restrictions on the use and redisclosure of SNAP data. What’s more, the proposed collection and sharing of SNAP data is wholly unnecessary and inefficient; SNAP fraud rates are already low, thanks to robust auditing mechanisms that states and the federal government have cooperated on for years. And those mechanisms do not, and have never, required that states turn over sensitive, personally identifying information about millions of Americans without any meaningful restrictions on how that information is used or shared with other agencies.

    The attorneys general also highlight The Paperwork Reduction Act, which seeks to “minimize the cost to the Federal Government of the creation, collection, maintenance, use, dissemination, and disposition of information.” USDA purports to seek data to re-verify the eligibility of SNAP participants, a function that is already subject to other quality control mechanisms and already completed by the states. Although USDA’s Notice claims the agency may share data with law enforcement, it overlooks key limits set by the federal Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a). USDA’s own rules further restrict SNAP data use to program-related purposes, like prosecuting fraud. The letter defends SNAP enrollees’ reasonable expectation of privacy, urging USDA “not to lose sight of the fact that SNAP exists to fight hunger.”

    In submitting this comment letter, Attorney General Bonta is joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. 

    A copy of the comment letter is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Murray, Colleagues Reintroduce Child Care for Working Families Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    As Republicans deliver fresh tax breaks for billionaires and kick Americans off their health care, Democrats continue their fight to help families find and afford child care

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and over 100 of her Democratic colleagues in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to reintroduce the Child Care for Working Families Act, comprehensive legislation to ensure families across America can find and afford the high-quality child care they need.

    “Working families in Nevada shouldn’t have to choose between quitting their jobs to look after their kids or footing the bill for unaffordable child care,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This legislation would support families and spur economic growth by ensuring that all families across the country can access child care without breaking the bank.”

    As President Trump and Republicans in Congress choose to spend trillions on new tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations, Democrats in Congress are continuing their push to help working people make ends meet. The cost of child care nationwide continues to rise—and far from helping tackle it, President Trump is exacerbating the affordability crisis. The national average cost of child care is now $13,128—a 29% increase since 2020 that outpaces inflation. In Nevada, the average annual cost of childcare is more than average annual cost of housing and more than doubles the cost of in-state college tuition. The crisis costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion each year and costs the Nevada economy over $1 billion each year.

    Specifically, Child Care for Working Families Act will:

    • Make child care affordable for working families by providing more funding to states, localities, and Head Start agencies. No working family will pay more than seven percent of their income on child care.
    • Improve the quality and supply of child care for all children and expand families’ child care options by providing grants to open and run new child care centers for underserved communities.
    • Support higher wages for child care workers.
    • Dramatically expand access to high-quality pre-K. States would receive funding to establish and expand a mixed-delivery system of high-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds.
    • Better support Head Start programs by providing the funding necessary to offer full-day, full-year programming and increasing wages for Head Start workers.

    Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported efforts to lower costs for hardworking Nevadans. She helped pass critical expansions to the Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue plan, and has been fighting to permanently increase this vital relief for working families. Cortez Masto also helped introduce the No Tax on Tips Act to exempt tipped wages from federal income tax. Additionally, Senator Cortez Masto supports raising the federal minimum wage and eliminating the minimum wage gap for tipped workers nationally. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Newly Declassified DOJ Watchdog Report Shows FBI Cut Corners in Clinton Email Investigation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today is bringing to light the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) findings that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) failed to fully investigate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and mishandling of highly classified information during her time as Secretary of State. The newly declassified “Clinton annex” is an appendix to the DOJ OIG’s June 2018 report reviewing the DOJ and FBI’s handling of the Clinton investigation. DOJ, under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, and other agencies declassified and provided the Clinton annex to Grassley at his request. Grassley has sought information from DOJ and FBI about the document since 2018 and again submitted his request to then-Attorney General Bill Barr in 2019. He, along with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), requested President Donald Trump declassify the document in 2020, and Grassley reiterated the request in 2025.

    “This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary Clinton’s email usage and mishandling of highly classified information,” Grassley said. “Under Comey’s leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor. The Comey FBI’s negligent approach and perhaps intentional lack of effort in the Clinton investigation is a stark contrast to its full-throated investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which was based on the uncorroborated and now discredited Steele dossier. Comey’s decision-making process smacks of political infection.”

    “I warned years ago that the Clinton investigation failed to hit the mark, and I’m grateful the American people can finally see the facts for themselves,” Grassley continued. “After nearly a decade in the shadows, this information is now coming to light thanks to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel’s dedicated efforts to fulfill my congressional request. I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact.”

    Read the Clinton annex HERE.

    The DOJ OIG’s Clinton annex shows the FBI obtained thumb drives from a source during the Clinton investigation, but then-FBI Director James Comey, as well as then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok and others, failed to perform additional, targeted searches of the drives, even though they contained information relevant to the inquiry. The DOJ OIG report illustrates that the FBI failed to thoroughly and completely investigate the Clinton matter as a result, as well as vet the serious national security risks created by Clinton’s careless handling of highly classified information. According to the DOJ OIG, the thumb drives contained highly sensitive information exfiltrated from U.S. government agencies, including the Department of State, as well as then-President Barack Obama’s emails and, potentially, congressional information. The thumb drives were never reviewed as part of the Clinton investigation, contrary to the recommendation of a draft FBI memorandum. The DOJ OIG report also shows the drives should have been immediately reviewed for foreign intelligence purposes, but were not.

    The FBI also obtained intelligence reports discussing purported communications between Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who was chairwoman of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the time, and two different individuals who worked for the Soros Open Society Foundations. The intelligence reports alleged that the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy. The DOJ OIG Clinton annex shows Comey, McCabe and Strzok, among others, did not make serious investigative efforts to determine the veracity, or lack thereof, regarding the intelligence reports.

    On July 5, 2016, Comey exonerated Clinton in a public statement regarding the investigation and recommended DOJ take no legal action to hold her accountable. Grassley’s oversight revealed Comey planned to exonerate Clinton even before interviewing her. Weeks later, on July 31, 2016, Comey’s FBI formally opened the bogus Crossfire Hurricane investigation into President Trump’s disproven collusion with Russia. On that day, Strzok texted Lisa Page, an FBI lawyer, saying: “And damn this feels momentous. Because this matters. The other one did, too, but that was to ensure we didn’t F something up. This matters because this MATTERS. So super glad to be on this voyage with you.”

    Grassley cited Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation as evidence that Comey lacked the ability to maintain the public’s trust in the FBI, and was therefore rightfully terminated.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI – Klobuchar Op-Ed in The Washington Post: Republicans said they would cut waste. Instead, they rewarded it.

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Minnesota Amy Klobuchar

    WASHINGTON — Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) published an op-ed in the Washington Post highlighting how, after Republicans promised to reduce waste, a last-minute carve-out in their “Big Beautiful Bill” actually rewards waste. The bill spares states that have the highest error rates from the bill’s food assistance cuts — ultimately incentivizing states to make mistakes and rewarding waste.

    From the op-ed:

    “Though Republicans came into office this year claiming to prioritize the elimination of waste, fraud and abuse, they have instead done the unthinkable: They passed a policy that actually rewards waste. That’s right — their budget bill explicitly gives states that have the most errors a reprieve from cuts to critical food assistance.

    This provision was added during the sausage-making process behind the budget bill that President Donald Trump signed into law this month. Passed along party lines, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” strips health care from millions, while greatly increasing the debt to pay for extending tax cuts for the wealthiest.

    This food-assistance policy change may not be the bill’s worst provision, but it’s certainly the most baffling — and it cuts directly against the GOP’s supposedly urgent quest to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.

    Here’s how it works. As has been well documented, the legislation drastically reduces the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (known as SNAP). Roughly one-third of the $186 billion in SNAP cuts come from shifting a larger portion of food and administrative costs to the states.

    The stated reason for the cost shift is to incentivize states to lower error rates, which are calculated based on both overpayments and underpayments by states to recipients. Error rates do not measure fraud and are largely unintentional. For example, they can occur when a state miscalculates a household expense or a recipient forgets to update a change in their income. As part of the bill, Republicans included a feature in which states that get their error rates below 6 percent get a portion of their federal funding back as a reward.

    Not every Republican was thrilled with the prospect of cutting their constituents’ food assistance when they are struggling with high grocery prices. To get the vote of one senator, Republicans tried several gambits to carve out a special exemption from the new policy for Alaska. (The state that happens to have the highest SNAP error rate in the country.)

    These kinds of state-specific provisions go against the rules of the budget process. So, to cover their tracks, Republicans added a carve-out for Hawaii in an ill-fated “these states are far away” attempt to gain the approval of the Senate parliamentarian.

    When the parliamentarian saw through the ruse, they instead tried pushing through a carve-out for Alaska and the District of Columbia, which also has a high error rate. When the parliamentarian again said no, Republicans simply rewrote their special exemption in the dead of night to give states with the highest SNAP error rates special treatment across the board, with an up to two-year delay of the cost shift.

    As a result, what started as an effort to lower error rates became a reward for states with the highest error rates, which now have every incentive to further botch their administrative process. This is the maddening hypocrisy of this so-called reform. Upend the very reason you claimed to make reform in the first place by rewarding errors? That happened.”

    Read the full op-ed here.


    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Applauds Missouri Judicial Nominees’ Winning Records Ahead of Confirmation Votes

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Thursday, July 17, 2025

    Today, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley spoke on the Senate floor, highlighting the winning records of Missouri’s four district court nominees and thanking President Donald Trump for returning constitutionalists to the federal bench after the appointment of radical judges under President Joe Biden.

    “Each of these four individuals will soon take his or her place on the federal bench, and I am confident will be a great credit, not just to my state but to the United States, where I hope they will serve as federal judges for a very long time to come,” Senator Hawley said.

    The Senate is poised to confirm the following nominees, starting next week.

    • Joshua M. Divine, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri;
    • Maria A. Lanahan, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri;
    • Zachary M. Bluestone, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri; and
    • Cristian M. Stevens, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri

    Watch Senator Hawley’s full remarks here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Deep sea mining companies exploiting ‘national security’ fears for profit, according to new Greenpeace USA report

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    “Deep Deception” report refutes claims that deep sea mining is necessary to source critical minerals for U.S. national security and defense.
    Greenpeace USA activists unfurl a banner calling on the US government to Stop Deep Sea Mining in front of Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York City.

    Washington, D.C. (July 21, 2025) — A new report from Greenpeace USA reveals how the deep sea mining industry has strategically exploited geopolitical tensions to fast-track mass-scale mineral extraction in one of the world’s most crucial and pristine frontiers. 

    Until very recently, a re-emergent deep sea mining industry justified its existence by promising to provide minerals to support the green energy transition. However, as this justification fell apart under scientific and financial scrutiny, start-ups like The Metals Company (TMC) shifted their rhetoric to focus on national security. Lobbying records show that TMC spent over half a million dollars across two years to lobby Congress and influence the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which sets the levels of funding for the U.S. military. Yet while these companies have asserted that the ocean’s minerals are essential for national security and defense readiness, the report found no evidence that the U.S. defense sector was actively looking to deep sea mining for critical resources.  

    Arlo Hemphill, Greenpeace USA’s project lead for the Stop Deep Sea Mining campaign, said: “For TMC, the green transition was always a false narrative. The numbers just didn’t add up to justify opening the world’s last unspoiled wilderness to mass-scale extractive exploitation. Now, the industry is repackaging itself as essential to national security and defense, exploiting real geopolitical tensions for personal profit. It’s a dangerous and unnecessary strategy that could destroy the international seabed to enrich a few.” 

    In April, President Trump, echoing the narrative of The Metals Company (TMC), signed an executive order aimed at accelerating the launch of deep sea mining in both U.S. and international waters. Days later, TMC, which is seeking to secure a contract to mine an area halfway between Hawai`i and Mexico, announced plans to bypass the United Nations’ deep sea regulator, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), by applying for a commercial license under the 1980 U.S. Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act (DSHMRA). 

    As the deep sea mining industry attempts to leverage Cold War-era legal loopholes to sidestep international law in pursuit of private gain, the report warns that U.S.-licensed deep sea mining in international waters could undermine decades of multilateral cooperation, ignite global legal conflict, inflame already tense international relations, and inflict irreversible damage on ocean ecosystems.

    Major General (U.S. Army, Ret.) Randy Manner, in his foreword to the report, said: “The bedrock of national security is not simply weapons or minerals — it is global stability, rule of law, and ecological resilience. Mining the deep ocean in defiance of international consensus would degrade all three. It would erode U.S. credibility, fracture alliances, and set a dangerous precedent for unilateral resource exploitation.”

    The battleground for all of this is the Pacific, a region that has already suffered extensive colonization and militarization at the hands of the global powers. Indigenous leaders, regional civil society organizations, and several Pacific states have called for a ban, moratorium, or precautionary pause on the practice.

    Solomon P. Kaho’ohalahala, chair of the Pacific Island Heritage Coalition, said: “The Pacific is not a sacrifice zone. We will not stand by while a neocolonial deep sea land grab takes place that will harm our communities, disrupt our cultural connection to the ocean, and endanger our livelihoods. This July, ISA member States must make it clear where they stand — for their foundational principles of equity, multilateralism, and environmental protection or unbounded corporate greed.” 

    In March 2025, ISA Member States condemned TMC’s push to bypass the ISA and seek applications through the U.S. Today, ISA Member States wrapped up the first Council meeting since TMC submitted the world’s first-ever application to commercially mine the international seabed. Governments responded by pushing back and launching an investigation that could affect TMC’s subsidiaries, Nauru Ocean Resources Inc. (NORI) and Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML). With this move, the international community shows that deep sea mining companies attempting to bypass international law will face consequences.

    Hemphill added: “As the Trump Administration recklessly pushes the false solution of deep sea mining to address national security and defense concerns, the ISA and its Member States must hold the line. The ISA must halt exploitation licenses under its authority, and more Member States must voice or reiterate their support for a global moratorium to protect marine ecosystems, uphold international law, and preserve the legitimacy of multilateral ocean governance.”

    Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA, [email protected]  

    Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • Russia and Ukraine edge closer to first talks in seven weeks

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Russia and Ukraine appear close to agreeing to hold a new round of peace talks in Turkey this week, although the Kremlin said on Monday that the two sides held “diametrically opposed” positions on how to end the war.

    Two days after Ukraine called for new talks in Istanbul this week, Russian state news agency TASS quoted an unidentified source as saying that negotiators – who have not sat down together for seven weeks – may meet there on Thursday and Friday.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told a gathering of his diplomats in Kyiv: “We need greater momentum in negotiations to end the war.”

    He added: “The agenda from our side is clear: the return of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia, and the preparation of a leaders’ meeting.”

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is under increasing pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to show progress towards ending the conflict, turned down a previous challenge from Zelenskiy to meet him in person.

    Putin has repeatedly said he does not see Zelenskiy as a legitimate leader because Ukraine, which is under martial law, did not hold new elections when his five-year mandate expired last year.

    Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that as soon as there was a definitive understanding of the date for the next round of talks, then Moscow would announce it.

    “There is our draft memorandum, there is a draft memorandum that has been handed over by the Ukrainian side. There is to be an exchange of views and talks on these two drafts, which are diametrically opposed so far,” Peskov said.

    Ukraine and Russia have held two rounds of talks in Istanbul, on May 16 and June 2, that led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers. But the two sides have made no breakthrough towards a ceasefire or a settlement to end almost three and a half years of war.

    Trump said last week he would impose new sanctions in 50 days on Russia and countries that buy its exports if there is no deal before then to end the conflict.

    -Reuters

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Data Shows U.S. Economy Is Back on Track Under President Trump

    Source: US Whitehouse

    Even the media admits the U.S. economy is “regaining its swagger” under President Donald J. Trump — and you need not look further than the banner economic news from the past week for proof.

    • Core inflation beat market expectations for the fifth straight month — every full month since President Trump took office.
      • Since President Trump took office, core inflation has tracked at just 2.1% — levels not seen since the first Trump Administration, when prices were low and stable — and right in line with the Fed’s inflation target.
    • Wholesale prices came in completely flat, below market expectations and underscoring the tremendous progress made on taming the Biden-era inflation crisis.
    • Industrial production bested market expectations with a higher-than-expected climb, showing that inflation is falling as domestic production surges.
      • Manufacturing output has surged by 1.8% in the first five months of President Trump’s second term, compared to a -0.7% decline in the final five months preceding President Trump’s inauguration.
    • Customs and tariff revenues have totaled $120 billion since President Trump took office — topping $100 billion in a fiscal year for the first time ever — including $7 billion in the last week alone, fueling the first June budget surplus in nearly a decade.
    • Advance retail sales smashed expectations in June, showing that consumers are confident and spending thanks to low inflation and strong wage gains.
    • Consumer sentiment shot up in July, beating market expectations yet again as inflation expectations for the next year dropped sharply.
    • Initial claims for unemployment benefits fell for the fifth straight week, confirming the strong jobs report.
    • Housing starts and permits for new builds both increased in June above market expectations.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: ✅ President Trump Has Kept His Promises — and Then Some

    Source: US Whitehouse

    President Donald J. Trump campaigned on a list of “20 core promises to Make America Great Again” — and in just six months, he has unquestionably delivered. From lowering costs to securing the border to enhancing public safety, President Trump has done more to make good on his promises than any president in modern American history, and he’s just getting started.

    The list goes far beyond these promises. President Trump has successfully forced hospitals nationwide to abandon their so-called “gender-affirming care“ and chemical castration programs for kids, defunded biased PBS and NPR, ended woke DEI programming across higher education and corporate America, weeded out nonsense “climate” initiatives, made English our official language, and so much more.

    Promises Made, Promises Kept:

    1. Seal the border and stop the migrant invasion: “We will close the border. We will stop the invasion of illegals into our country.” (10/12/24, Aurora, CO)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: Under President Trump, the number of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border are at historic lows and border wall construction has resumed. Last month, illegal border crossings were the lowest ever recorded, while this fiscal year is on track to see the fewest illegal crossings in five decades. For two straight months, zero illegals were released into the country’s interior.
    2. Carry out the largest deportation operation in American history: “We will begin the largest deportation operation in the history of our country.” (10/21/24, Concord, NC)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: Every single day, the Trump Administration is removing illegal immigrant killers, rapists, gangbangers, drug traffickers, and other violent criminals off our streets — and sending them back.
    3. End inflation, and make America affordable again: “Starting the day I take the oath of office, I will rapidly drive prices down and we will make America affordable again.” (8/17/24, Wilkes-Barre, PA)
    4. Make America the dominant energy producer in the world, by far: “We will stop the Biden-Harris war on American energy … American energy is such a big deal. We will drill, baby, drill.” (8/3/24, Atlanta, GA)
    5. Stop outsourcing, and turn the United States into a manufacturing superpower: “Together, we’re going to … bring thousands of factories back to the USA, right where they belong — and that will be done through tariffs and smart policy. We will build American, we will buy American, and we will hire American.” (1/19/24, Washington, D.C.)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: As President Trump pursues his bold commitment to an America First trade agenda, scores of companies have announced trillions of dollars in new investment as they onshore workers from foreign countries and create tens of thousands of new American jobs — positioning the U.S. as the dominant player for the jobs of the future.
    6. Large tax cuts for workers, and No Tax on Tips: “We’re going to have very large tax cuts for workers and … No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime.” (10/12/2024, Reno, NV)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: The largest tax cut in history for working- and middle-class Americans — including No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and No Tax on Social Security — is now the law of the land, along with unprecedented tax relief for small businesses, farmers, workers, and families.
    7. Defend our constitution, our bill of rights, and our fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms: “We’re going to bust up the censorship regime and bring back free speech again” (1/28/23, Columbia, SC), “I will defend religious liberty.” (1/19/25, Washington, D.C.)
    8. Prevent World War III, restore peace in Europe and in the Middle East, and build a great iron dome missile defense shield over our entire country — all made in America: “We will build a great Iron Dome over our country like Israel has a dome like has never been seen before, a state-of-the-art missile defense shield that will be entirely built in America and create jobs, jobs, jobs.” (6/15/24, Detroit, MI)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: President Trump has achieved remarkable success by employing his Peace Through Strength doctrine around the world —preventing war between India and Pakistan, ending the 12 Day War, brokering a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and averting escalation in other areas. Meanwhile, the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers funding for the Golden Dome missile defense system to protect our homeland from 21st Century threats.
    9. End the weaponization of government against the American people: “Biden has worked to persecute political dissidents, including conservatives, Catholics and other Christians, and opponents of his weaponized state … This abuse will be rectified, and it will be rectified very quickly.” (5/25/24, Washington, D.C.)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: President Trump has purged corrupt elements from the DOJ and FBI, pardoned pro-life Americans wrongly targeted by the Biden Administration, and launched full-scale investigations into deep state abuses — bringing the era of weaponized government to an end and restoring fairness and trust in American institutions.
    10. Stop the migrant crime epidemic, demolish the foreign drug cartels, crush gang violence, and lock up violent offenders: “The drug cartels are waging war on America — and it’s now time for America to wage war on the cartels” (12/22/23), “We will expel every single illegal alien gang member and migrant criminal operating on American soil and remove the savage gang, Tren de Aragua, from the United States.” (1/19/25, Washington, D.C.)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: The Trump Administration is dismantling human smuggling networks, sanctioning cartels and designating them as foreign terrorist organizations, and deporting gang members in droves — ridding our country of these public safety threats for good and making our streets safer than they’ve ever been.
    11. Rebuild our cities, including Washington, D.C., making them safe, clean, and beautiful again: “We will rebuild our once great cities, including our capital in Washington, DC, making them safe, clean, and beautiful again.” (1/19/25, Washington, D.C.)
    12. Strengthen and modernize our military, making it, without question, the strongest and most powerful in the world: “We will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen.” (1/20/25, Washington, D.C.)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: With the largest military investment in decades, President Trump is modernizing our forces with cutting-edge technology, rebuilding depleted stockpiles, and ensuring our troops are the best-equipped in history — deterring adversaries and keeping America safe without unnecessary conflicts.
    13. Keep the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency: “If I’m elected, the dollar is so secure. Your reserve currency is the strongest it’ll ever be.” (10/15/24, Detroit, MI)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: Through pro-growth policies and tough trade deals, President Trump has fortified the dollar’s dominance, preventing de-dollarization efforts abroad and ensuring it remains the global standard — boosting American economic power worldwide.
    14. Fight for and protect Social Security and Medicare with no cuts, including no changes to the retirement age: “I will not cut one penny from Social Security or Medicare … I will not talk about one day or one year shorter, and I will not raise the retirement age of Social Security by one day, not by one year.”(7/27/24, West Palm Beach, FL)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: President Trump hasn’t touched Social Security — and has consistently called for rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse to safeguard the programs’ solvency for future generations, delivering on his ironclad commitment to America’s seniors.
    15. Cancel the electric vehicle mandate and cut costly and burdensome regulations: “We’re going to be ending the electric car mandate quickly.” (1/7/25, Palm Beach, FL)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: On day one, President Trump revoked the burdensome electric vehicle mandate — and fortified that action by signing a congressional resolution into law. The Trump Administration has also slashed job-killing regulations to unleash innovation, lower costs, and put American workers first.
    16. Cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory, radical gender ideology, and other inappropriate racial, sexual, or political content on our children: “I will sign a new executive order to cut federal funding for any school pushing critical race theory … or political content onto the shoulders of our children.” (8/3/24, Atlanta, GA)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: President Trump signed an order to defund schools promoting divisive critical race theory and radical gender ideology.
    17. Keep men out of women’s sports: “We will keep men out of women’s sports.” (5/26/24, Washington, D.C.)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: President Trump immediately ended the unfair, demeaning practice of forcing women to compete against men in sports — which resulted in the NCAA changing its rules and drove countless states and high schools to change their policies.
    18. Deport pro-Hamas radicals and make our college campuses safe and patriotic again: “We will deport the foreign Jihad sympathizers and Hamas supporters from our midst. We will get them out of our country.” (9/19/24, Washington, D.C.)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: President Trump has cracked down on campus chaos with federal enforcement and visa revocations for pro-Hamas agitators — restoring safety, free speech, and American values to universities across the nation.
    19. Secure our elections, including same day voting, voter identification, paper ballots, and proof of citizenship: “We will secure our elections — and they will be secure once and for all.” (10/13/24, Prescott Valley, AZ)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: President Trump implemented nationwide election integrity measures through executive action, banning foreign nationals from election interference, strengthening voter citizenship verification, prosecuting non-citizen voting, requiring voter-verifiable paper ballot records, and ensuring state-by-state compliance with federal law.
    20. Unite our country by bringing it to new and record levels of success: “It’s time to unite … Success is going to bring us together.” (11/6/24, West Palm Beach, FL)
      • ✅ PROMISE KEPT: President Trump’s remarkable success is bringing the country together — with more Americans saying the country is on the right track than any point in two decades and support among Republicans for President Trump and his agenda near historic levels.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford, Colleagues Urge Two-Prong Approach to Cementing America’s Role as Global AI Capital

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) led a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, Howard Lutnick. The letter urges the Commerce Department to continue pursuing policies that will cement the United States as the world capital of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    Specifically, the Members of Congress are advocating for Secretary Lutnick to pursue a well-balanced strategy that limits foreign adversaries’ ability to develop frontier AI and enables American companies to compete quickly in the global marketplace.

    Reps. Jack Bergman, Andrew Garbarino, Diana Harshbarger, Robert Wittman, John McGuire, Ben Cline, and Vern Buchanan joined Congressman Alford in sending the letter to Secretary Lutnick.

    Read the full letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick here.

    Read key excerpts from the letter below:

    “Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is shaping emerging technologies globally and positioned as the world capital of artificial intelligence (AI). The President’s cabinet is unshackling American energy, cutting burdensome red tape, and unwinding Biden’s bad policies. One important example of bolstering American prosperity was your decision to rescind and replace the Biden administration’s AI Diffusion Rule. This rule would have helped China win the AI race, and replacing this rule quickly will provide American innovators a stable environment to compete and win. …

    “While we are currently ahead of Communist China in the AI race, we must continue to help our nation, companies, and innovators succeed. Failure to maintain our lead in AI development means that we could be at the mercy of Communist China for many critical industries. Examples include cryptography, next-generation pharmaceuticals, and advanced defense materials. President Trump has been at the forefront of securing investment during his recent successful trip to the Middle East. He closed deals promoting U.S. technology as the global standard and secured landmark investments in frontier AI development at home. We must continue to capitalize on this momentum by ensuring allies and partners building out their AI investments see the U.S. as the superior, most reliable partner.

    “One crucial next step in this competition is providing American innovators, exporters, and nations around the world a stable exporting structure. Mr. Secretary, your testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee included key elements of an AI diffusion framework that would enable American AI diffusion around the world while also limiting China’s ability to develop frontier AI. The Trump administration should not return to Biden’s tiers and caps that confused close allies and partners. …

    “We can only win the AI race with Communist China if we are wisely limiting our foreign adversary’s opportunities to develop frontier AI and enabling American companies to compete quickly in the global marketplace. Both prongs are important and the balance between them are crucial. America is winning the AI race, but the competition has been hard fought and will continue to be. Steps must be taken quickly since investments happening now will create the world’s tech ecosystem for decades to come. …”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Introduce Legislation Targeting The Use of Presidential Libraries as Tools for Corruption

    US Senate News:

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

    July 21, 2025

    Special interests seemingly seeking favors from Donald Trump have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into his presidential library

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, both D-Ore., said today they have joined colleagues in introducing legislation that would close loopholes letting presidential libraries be used for corruption and bribery.

    From mega-merger approvals to the preservation of the U.S. military base in Qatar, giant corporations, at least one foreign government, and several other entities have promised donations collectively worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Donald Trump’s future library while he has the power to affect those same entities’ futures. The contributions, many in the form of settlements to Trump-filed lawsuits, raise serious ethics concerns about potential bribery and corruption.

    “Donald Trump can’t be allowed to get away with accepting any shiny, lavish gift that comes his way from big corporations, foreign governments, and even anonymous donors,” Wyden said. “No president should be allowed to accumulate more wealth by receiving the fanciest gifts and then self-classifying them as ‘contributions’ to presidential libraries. It’s time to put a cap on contributions to hold corrupt, self-serving presidents like Trump accountable for making sketchy, back-alley deals.” 

    “We can’t allow his presidential library to be yet another avenue for President Trump to sell access and influence to the highest bidders. Without action, we stamp a Congressional seal of approval on Trump’s ability to use his future library to enrich himself and his family,” said Merkley. “We need the Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act to close the corrupt loophole that allows for foreign governments and giant corporations to give unlimited library donations, protecting our ‘We The People’ republic.”

    Unlike presidential campaigns or inaugural committees, presidential libraries are subject to almost no restrictions on donations, which means contributions can come from foreign nationals, lobbyists, people seeking presidential pardons, and corporations with matters before federal agencies.

    Just weeks ago, Paramount settled Trump’s seemingly meritless lawsuit for $16 million as it is currently vying for the Trump administration’s approval of its proposed mega-merger with Skydance. In May , Trump announced he would accept a free luxury jet — worth about $400 million — from the government of Qatar, and that the jet would be donated to his presidential library after he leaves office.

    The Presidential Library Anti-Corruption Act would:

    • Ban fundraising while the president is in office, with a carveout for nonprofits: Require that presidential libraries wait until the president leaves office before fundraising or accepting donations, except from 501(c)(3) organizations (mirroring the standard adopted by the Obama Foundation).
    • Establish a contribution cap: For 501(c)(3) organizations that can donate while a president is still in office, limit donations to $10,000 total.
    • Impose a cooling-off period for donations from foreign nationals, lobbyists, contractors, individuals seeking pardons: For an additional two years after the president leaves office, prohibit donations from foreign nationals or foreign governments, registered lobbyists, federal contractors, and individuals seeking presidential pardons.
    • Ban conversion of donations to personal use: Bar the use of library donations for personal expenses or unrelated financial obligations.
    • Mandate quarterly disclosures: During the president’s time in office and for five years after, require all donations of $200 or more to be disclosed to the National Archives each calendar quarter. Publish donor information (including name, employer, and date and amount of the donation) online in a searchable, downloadable format.
    • Prohibit straw donations: Make it illegal to donate in someone else’s name, or to knowingly allow your name to be used for a straw donation.

    The bill was led in the Senate by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. In the House, it was led by U.S. Representatives Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the bill was cosponsored in the Senate by U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Andy Kim,D-N.J., Ed Markey, D-Mass.,Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I..

    The bill is endorsed by the following: Project On Government Oversight, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Democracy Defenders Action, Campaign Legal Center, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Public Citizen, Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, Demand Progress, and American Governance Institute.

    A one-page summary of the bill is here. The text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Harriet Hageman Votes in Favor of Historic Rescissions Package

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Harriet Hageman joined her Republican colleagues in passing a historic rescission package, sending it to President Trump’s desk. This measure removes $1.1 billion in annual federal funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (PBS & NPR), and $7.9 billion from USAID foreign aid programs, totaling $9 billion in reclaimed taxpayer dollars. 

    The Congresswoman released the following statement:  

    “For too long, American families have been forced to subsidize liberal-leaning media under the guise of ‘public service.’ When NPR/PBS were started, there were few options available. There are now so many different outlets that need for government funded media has been replaced by the free market, and public media now prioritizes far-left narratives over balanced journalism. This federal funding should not support woke indoctrination in children’s programming, including, drag queen story hours, political lectures from popular characters, and anti-American messaging, when parents can choose from a vast, private media landscape,” said Congresswoman Hageman. 

    “In emergency situations like the recent Texas floods, taxpayers discovered private broadcasters stepped up with immediate alerts and lifesaving updates, while NPR affiliates lagged behind, remaining silent for hours. This proves that public safety is not uniquely tied to taxpayer-funded media. 

    This rescission marks our first major strike against federal waste, fraud, and abuse, and it is just the beginning. We will continue to scrutinize every dollar the federal government claims it needs. American families deserve a government that is lean, accountable, and focused on results, not politicized media subsidies.” 

    Examples of what we are defunding: 

    • PBS programming includes “Real Boy,” a program about a trans teen, and “Our League” about a trans woman returning to her hometown
    • $1 million for voter ID in Haiti
    • $3 million for Iraqi Sesame Street
    • $1 million for programs to strengthen the resilience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer global movements
    • PBS shows that indoctrinate children such as, “Drag Queen Story Hour”
    • $33,000 for “Being LGBTI in the Caribbean”
    • NPR requested and received a $1.9 million grant commitment from CPB to hire more “moderate” Editors and journalists, as they recognized their complete leftist bias
    • $130 million from other IOP programs, which includes programs like UN Women, UN Panel on Climate Change, Int’l Conservation Programs, etc. 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: America is Now the Hottest Country in the World

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins Newsmax to Discuss the First Six Months of President Trump’s Second Term & the Booming Economy
    Washington – On Monday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Marc Lotter and Sharla McBride on Newmax’s Wake Up America to discuss the first six months of President Trump’s second term, future spending cuts in Congress, DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s recent report, and the MAHA legislative package he is introducing.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    On the first six months of President Trump’s second term:
    “Exactly. I told my wife this morning, you know, we’re part of the Trump chain gang. Let’s get to work up here. Congress doesn’t have any idea what it’s like out in the real world, where, as a physician, I worked every weekend. I didn’t take days off for years at a time. So, I’m used to this pace. I’m used to Trump Time.
    “But I’m calling this economy the Lazarus Economy. A year ago, as President Trump said, the economy was dead, and now we’re the hottest country in the world. Trillions of dollars are being invested, jobs are growing, inflation is down, the price of gasoline is down, and the border is secure. And our military is being taken care of. We just passed the largest tax cut in American history and the largest cut in federal government spending as well. This was a bill that’s going to help middle-income Americans and small businesses. Very proud of the work we’ve done these last six months.”
    On future spending cuts from the Senate:
    “Well, we certainly need to prioritize them, and Congress needs to develop this memory. This is the first time… since President Bush, the first, we’ve actually done a rescissions package. So, this was a good start to learn. You know, the backdrop of this $37 trillion of national debt right now. We’re going to spend a trillion dollars on interest this year. This is the number one threat to my grandchildren’s future: this national debt.
    “Look, I think what your listeners need to understand is the Government Accounting Office, the Office of Inspector General, has been saying for over a decade now that there is systemic risk for fraud, waste, and abuse in USAID. And that’s why I asked Elon to burn it to the ground and start over.
    “Just give you a few more examples here… in Tanzania, Zambia … $50 million of medical equipment theft. In New Guinea, $100 million of scandals are going on. More recently, $500 million here in the United States, where people were skimming and taking bribes back; all USAID programs. Go back to an earthquake in Haiti. We gave them a billion dollars decades ago. They never did anything with it. They did not build the energy plant they were supposed to. So, we have a president standing up identifying fraud. Now Congress needs to do her job with 50 votes. We can continue this on the Senate side.”
    On DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s report about Russia misinformation:
    “Well, look, this is absolutely believable. This is new information that in the Oval Office, with the highest members of the FBI and the Intelligence Agency under Obama, they cooked up a plan to continue this ‘Russia, Russia, Russia’ hoax. You know, this is kind of the second chapter of the FISA court abuse that was done under the Obama administration as well. Those people never paid the price they should have paid as well. Judges should have been fired, and people within the FBI should have been fired over that. Maybe one person held accountable.
    “So, this is the next chapter. We need total transparency. I think that’s what, you know, the beauty of President Trump’s cabinet is, they’re going to show America the whole truth here, nothing but the truth, and let the Justice Department do its job. And by the way, you’ll see Congress probably having more hearings on this as well.”
    On the Make America Healthy Again package:
    “Well, look, what I believe is that healthy soil meets healthy food, meets healthy people. That when agriculture can focus on soil health by growing more with less, by using less pesticides, using less water, and using modern-day agriculture, precision agriculture practices, we can make the soil healthier. That’s going to make the food more nutrient-rich, and that’s going to lead to healthier people.
    “Look, 90% of the money spent on health care in this country is spent on seven chronic diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s, those types of things. So, we need to focus in on those chronic diseases, try to prevent them with healthy food, and then treat them with healthy food as well. And I’m so proud to work with Secretary Kennedy and Secretary Rollins to get this job done.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: Congress Doesn’t Need a Vacation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins Fox News Live
    Washington – On Sunday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Fox News to discuss Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard’s recent report indicating that former President Obama’s administration manufactured the Russia misinformation scandal, the benefits of the $9 billion rescissions package, and the importance of the recently passed GENIUS Act for America’s financial stability.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    On DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s recent report:
    “I think there’s a lot of new information coming to bear right now, information that I’d never heard of before, as far as what was happening in the old Oval Office, where there was a conspiracy to absolutely undermine President Trump as he took office as well. You recall back when the FISA court abuses started, you were covering that story as well.
    “So, this just makes sense, after you understand what the FISA abuse that was going on. This was the next chapter of it. I think the Democrats never thought that President Trump could win. And now more of this is coming to light.”
    On whether the Senate intelligence committee missed something in the original report:
    “Look, I think that she’s uncovered new information since then. I think that there are new documents that are showing that President Obama was in the room and they did this conspiracy, working with lifetime people within the political agencies, within the FBI… there was a conspiracy to try to throw out this misinformation, to try to address [and] make this an illegitimate election. So, I think this is new information. I think it needs to be investigated. I think that’s the job of the Attorney General: to find the truth and deliver justice for America.”
    On the necessity to pass the $9 billion rescissions package:
    “Well, certainly the whole backdrop of this is the $37 trillion of national debt we have. $9 billion is still a lot of money back home. When the President discovers fraud, waste, and abuse, we need to go after it. I think what America doesn’t realize is that our own Government Accounting Office, our own Inspector General, has been saying for over a decade that USAID is rife with fraud and abuse.
    “Just think back recently, $500 million bribery scheme with USAID dollars, $100 million of embezzlement in Zambia recently as well. So all over the world, there’s fraud, waste, and abuse. We need to go after all of it. 
    “But yes, at the end of the day, we need to go back to a regular budget process. We recently dropped a budget bill that would require and force Congress to go back and do its job. And just like you start at home with your family, a budget or a business, we need to go back and do a real budget.”
    On the President signing the first major crypto currency bill:
    “Well, I think that this is a great start. I’m a doctor, and the first thing we learned, even before med school, is the skeleton. So think of this as the skeleton to preserve and protect the stablecoin industry. This is really important for consumers. It’s going to make sure that when they’re investing in crypto, it’s pegged one-to-one with the US dollar. So, it’s good for consumers. I think it’s going to keep the US dollar dominant. It’s going to promote innovation. 
    “When you put a few rules around it, those people that are innovators are ready to move forward as well. And I know that you care a lot about national security, so I think that this is a step forward in preventing some of the money laundering schemes that we see going across the world as well.
    “So, this is a great first step. Yes, it’s going to take more. Think back to the internet in 1996 – we wanted to put some guardrails around it, but not stifle the innovation.”
    On what’s next for crypto legislation in Congress:
    “You know, go back to my analogy of the skeleton. You learn the skeleton, and then you have to put muscles on it, and organs, and the nervous system. So, I think that how much more consumer protection do we need? What else can we do to make sure that these financial institutions that are issuing the coins are held up to the standards of, say, a bank, ‘know your customer type of philosophy as well.’
    “So, there’s more to be done, but this was the low-hanging fruit. This is what we could get 60 votes in the Senate for. We may struggle doing any more this year, but we’ll see.”
    On President Trump’s call to potentially end the August recess:
    “You know, absolutely, and certainly, I want to agree with the President that Leader Thune is very talented, and he’s doing an incredible job. Right now, I’ve talked to many of the Secretaries, the Cabinet Members, Billy Long over at the IRS, and they’re drowning. They’re drowning because the swamp is so deep here, and they need more political appointees to help them get through this swamp and get their job done. So, I’m willing to do it. Look, I’ve worked weekends my whole life. I don’t know what a vacation even means. I’m happy to stay here as long as we’re working.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Urges U.S. Sentencing Commission To Consider Impacts Of Chronic Underfunding And Understaffing At BOP

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the U.S. Sentencing Commission in response to its proposed priorities for the 2025-2026 amendment cycle. In the letter, Durbin urged the Commission to consider the impact that the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) resources and staffing levels have on BOP’s ability to adequately discharge its mission.

    “For years, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced significant challenges in the performance of its mandate, undermining the Commission’s intent to tailor recommended sentences to anticipated outcomes for incarcerated individuals. I therefore urge the Commission to prioritize ‘[a]ssessing the degree to which certain practices of the Bureau of Prisons are effective in meeting the purposes of sentencing as set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2) and considering any appropriate responses, including possible consideration of recommendations or amendments’ in the upcoming amendment cycle,” Durbin wrote.

    As Durbin notes in his letter, BOP has been chronically underfunded and understaffed, resulting in longstanding issues related to physical infrastructure of facilities, inadequate medical care for inmates, and concerns about the agency’s ability to ensure the safety and security of inmates and BOP employees, among other challenges.

    “Inadequate funding and staffing levels affect all aspects of BOP’s ability to discharge its mission. We have asked the agency to do far too much with far too little for far too long—and the ripple effects of severe BOP under resourcing are apparent across facilities nationwide,” Durbin wrote.

    Despite BOP’s limitations in carrying out its own mission, the Trump Administration has saddled the agency with additional responsibilities in accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees. Durbin denounced this effort by the Trump Administration, emphasizing that this move further hampers BOP’s ability to address its own shortfalls.

    “Despite these limitations, the Administration has now asked BOP to add an additional mission by accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees. As I have previously written to the Attorney General, this decision further threatens the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals,” Durbin wrote.

    Durbin concluded his letter by calling on the Sentencing Commission to focus on recommendations and amendments that will support BOP in remedying its deficiencies.

    “Given the myriad difficulties facing our federal prison system, I respectfully urge the Commission to consider possible recommendations or amendments in the upcoming amendment cycle that account for the limited ‘nature and capacity of . . . facilities and services available’ to incarcerated individuals,” Durbin concluded his letter.

     

    A copy of the letter can be found here and below:

     

    July 18, 2025

     

    Dear Chair Reeves:

     

    I write in response to the Sentencing Commission’s request for comment on its Proposed 2025-2026 Priorities.

     

    Proposed Priority: Bureau of Prisons practices and effectiveness in meeting the purposes of sentencing.

     

    In the federal criminal justice system, district courts must seek to achieve the purposes of sentencing—retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation—when deciding upon a defendant’s sentence,[1] by imposing one that is “sufficient, but not greater than necessary” to:

     

    (A) reflect the seriousness of the offense, to promote respect for the law, and to provide just punishment for the offense; (B) to afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct; (C) to protect the public from further crimes of the defendant; and (D) to provide the defendant with needed educational or vocational training, medical care, or other correctional treatment in the most effective manner.[[2]]

     

    The United States Sentencing Commission, too, must strive to ensure the Sentencing Guidelines meet these purposes.[3] Though no longer binding, the Sentencing Guidelines nevertheless “serve an important role” by providing courts with “‘a meaningful benchmark’ in the initial determination of a sentence” and guidance “throughout the sentencing process.”[4] Indeed, in Fiscal Year 2024, 28,038 sentences—or 45.7 percent—were imposed within the recommended range, not including cases where a departure applied, evidencing the central role that the Guidelines play in guiding thousands of federal criminal justice outcomes annually.[5]

     

    Of course, the relevance to the goals of sentencing of the type and length of a recommended sentence under the Guidelines will necessarily vary depending on how that sentence is executed. For years, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) has faced significant challenges in the performance of its mandate, undermining the Commission’s intent to tailor recommended sentences to anticipated outcomes for incarcerated individuals. I therefore urge the Commission to prioritize “[a]ssessing the degree to which certain practices of the Bureau of Prisons are effective in meeting the purposes of sentencing as set forth in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2) and considering any appropriate responses including possible consideration of recommendations or amendments” in the upcoming amendment cycle.[6]

     

    Chronically underfunded and understaffed, BOP has struggled to maintain safe and effective carceral settings for nearly 156,000 federal inmates, over 143,000 of whom are in BOP custody.[7]Currently, BOP is authorized to have 14,900 correctional officer positions, with 12,766 active officers in pay status.[8] Authorized “other” full time positions were recently reduced from 27,498 to 23,949, and there are 23,896 active employees in pay status.[9] The resulting challenges BOP faces are both longstanding and pervasive:

     

    • Infrastructure. In May 2023, the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released the results of an audit of BOP’s “aging and failing infrastructure,” finding issues such as buckling concrete, crumbling façades, water leaks, poor ventilation, and energy inefficiencies.[10] Late last year, BOP announced plans to permanently close one facility and idle six others due in part to “crumbling infrastructure.”[11] That BOP would need to close facilities as a result of unsustainable cost is not new—just three years prior, BOP closed Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) New York “after an in-depth conditions assessment found that substantial building deficiencies jeopardized the safety and security of the staff and inmates who occupied the building.”[12] As of February 2024, then-BOP Director Colette Peters estimated that BOP had a maintenance and repair backlog of approximately $3 billion.[13]
    • Medical Care. In 2023, NPR reported on severely inadequate medical care within BOP facilities.[14] One common complaint among sources was the agency’s failure to timely screen and treat inmates with serious illnesses, and the report found “[m]ore than a dozen waited months or even years for treatment, including inmates with obviously concerning symptoms: unexplained bleeding, a suspicious lump, intense pain.”[15] Many suffered worsened conditions; some lost their lives.[16] These problems persist.[17] In a series of unannounced site inspections, OIG has identified several concerning medical practices and failures across various institutions.[18] Most recently, OIG released an inspection last December of Federal Medical Center (FMC) Devens, finding “serious issues with . . . provision of healthcare” even at this dedicated medical facility, including “potentially dangerous medication distribution, lack of preventive healthcare screening, inappropriate placement of inmates in the Memory Disorder Unit (MDU), and inconsistent processes for requesting and accessing care.”[19] Like other BOP institutions across the nation, FMC Devens suffers from a substantial employee shortage, “substantially affect[ing] the health, welfare, and safety of . . . inmates.”[20] It is perhaps unsurprising that in Fiscal Year 2024, district court judges granted compassionate release requests under 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A) on the basis, at least in part, of medical-related concerns in a notable number of cases.[21] In one recent order granting compassionate release, a district court judge found BOP’s failure to provide necessary and “relatively straightforward” treatment to the petitioner “incomprehensible and very far below the standards that I expect for anyone held in custody.”[22]
    • Safety and Security. Several factors undermine BOP’s ability to ensure the safety of those in its custody. For example, in 2022, the union representing BOP employees condemned a deadly fight at United States Penitentiary (USP) Beaumont, decrying the “chronic understaffing” that “is jeopardizing the lives of both workers and inmates.”[23] Indeed, in a February 2024 OIG report evaluating issues surrounding inmate deaths, “BOP specifically identified insufficient staffing as an issue in at least 30 of the inmate deaths in [OIG’s] scope.”[24] Correctional staff shortages hinder efforts to prevent and respond to immediate threats, while medical staff shortages limit the ability to provide risk-mitigation treatments and programming.[25] In addition to other challenges, BOP also faces longstanding obstacles to effective interdiction of contraband drugs and weapons, overreliance on mandated staff overtime and augmentation, and “fundamentally ineffective” staff discipline processes—each compounding the serious risk to institutional safety.[26]

     

    While these concerns significantly limit BOP’s ability to effectively meet the purposes of sentencing, they are by no means exhaustive. Inadequate funding and staffing levels affect all aspects of BOP’s ability to discharge its mission. We have asked the agency to do far too much with far too little for far too long—and the ripple effects of severe BOP under resourcing are apparent across facilities nationwide.[27] Despite these limitations, the Administration has now asked BOP to add an additional mission by accepting and processing Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees.[28] As I have previously written to the Attorney General, this decision further threatens the safety and well-being of incarcerated individuals.[29]

     

    Given the myriad difficulties facing our federal prison system, I respectfully urge the Commission to consider possible recommendations or amendments in the upcoming amendment cycle that account for the limited “nature and capacity of . . . facilities and services available”[30] to incarcerated individuals.

     

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    [1] Tapia v. United States, 564 U.S. 319, 325 (2011). The Supreme Court explained in Tapia, however, that “a particular purpose may apply differently, or even not at all, depending on the kind of sentence under consideration.” Id. at 326. Retribution, § 3553(a)(2)(A), for example, cannot be considered for imposing supervised release terms, id., and rehabilitative needs, § 3553(a)(2)(D), cannot be used to impose or lengthen a prison term, id. at 335.

    [2] 18 U.S.C. 3553(a)(2).

    [3] 28 U.S.C. § 994(g).

    [4] Rosales-Mireles v. United States, 585 U.S. 129, 133 (2018) (quoting Peugh v. United States, 569 U.S. 530, 541, (2013)).

    [5] U.S. Sent’g Comm’n, Datafile (2024), https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/annual-reports-and-sourcebooks/2024/Table29.pdf.

    [6] Federal Register Notice of Proposed 2025-2026 Priorities, U.S. Sent’g Comm’n,

    https://www.ussc.gov/policymaking/federal-register-notices/federal-register-notice-proposed-2025-2026-priorities (last visited July 9, 2025).

    [7] Statistics, Fed. Bureau of Prisons, https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/population_statistics.jsp#:~:text=155%2C933%20Total%20Federal%20Inmates&text=Last%20Updated%20July%203%2C%202025,Thursday%20at%2012%3A00%20A.M(last visited July 9, 2025). An additional nearly 12,800 federal inmates are reported to be in “other types of facilities.” Id.

    [8] Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Fed. Bureau of Prisons Fact Sheet (2025), https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/docs/fbop_fact_sheet.pdf.

    [9] Id.; Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Fed. Bureau of Prisons Fact Sheet (2024), https://web.archive.org/web/20250226151445/https://www.bop.gov/about/statistics/docs/fbop_fact_sheet.pdf.

    [10] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., No. 23-064, Audit of the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Efforts to Maintain and Construct Institutions 6 (2023), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-064_1.pdf.

    [11] Michael R. Sisak & Michael Balsamo, The US government is closing a women’s prison and other facilities after years of abuse and decay, Associated Press (Dec. 5, 2024), https://apnews.com/article/federal-prisons-closing-ap-investigation-abuse-decay-c02c96b6f6a3c5535cc3e3025d5d2585.

    [12] U.S. Dep’t of Just., supra note 10 at 5.

    [13] Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing, Examining and Preventing Deaths of Incarcerated Individuals in Federal

    Prisons (Feb. 28, 2024), at 00:30:45.

    [14] Meg Anderson, 1 in 4 inmate deaths happens in the same federal prison. Why?, NPR (Sept. 23, 2023),

    https://www.npr.org/2023/09/23/1200626103/federal-prison-deaths-butner-medical-center-sick-inmates.

    [15] Id.

    [16] Id.

    [17] See Walter Pavlo, Cases Show Medical Care Under Scrutiny At Federal Bureau Of Prisons, Forbes (Mar. 13, 2025), https://www.forbes.com/sites/walterpavlo/2025/03/13/cases-show-medical-care-under-scrutiny-at-federal-bureau-of-prisons/.

    [18] To date, OIG has released the results of five inspections. In the first four inspections, OIG found, in part: at FCI Waseca, inmates with higher care levels than the institutions at which they were housed, significant delays in nonemergency medical care, and limited ability to provide psychology services beyond “crisis focused” care, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 23-068, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Waseca 1, 26–29 (2023),https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/23-068.pdf; at FCI Tallahassee, suboptimal timing of medication dispensation, such as insulin and psychiatric medication, which can negatively affect drug efficacy, insufficient availability of bilingual staff to communicate with patients, and incomplete health care screenings at intake, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-005, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Tallahassee 1, 34–35 (2023),https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-005.pdf; at FCI Sheridan, a longstanding phlebotomist vacancy that, while eventually filled, led to a backlog at one point of over 700 laboratory orders, barriers to inmates requesting and accessing care for routine conditions, delays in medical and dental care due to lack of medical equipment and supplies, a backlog of outside medical visits, and potentially dangerous medication distribution practices, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-070, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Sheridan 1, 8–13 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-070_0.pdf; and at FCI Lewisburg, intake screening errors, certain prescription medication discontinuation decisions made without speaking with or examining the patients in advance and without tapering as recommended by BOP clinical guidance, colorectal cancer screenings provided to less than half of inmates within the recommended risk range and significant delays in providing colonoscopies to those for whom it was ordered, and failure to provide A1C tests to the majority of qualifying inmates within recommended time frames, U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-113, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Lewisburg 1, 10–14 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-113.pdf.

    [19] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 25-009, Inspection of the Fed. Bureau of Prisons’ Fed. Corr. Inst. Devens i (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/25-009.pdf.

    [20] Id.

    [21] Sentencing courts listed serious physical or medical condition in 12.5 percent of cases, ongoing COVID-19 pandemic concerns unable to be timely mitigated in 3.3 percent of cases, and BOP failure to provide treatment in 1.7 percent of cases, among other reasons. U.S. Sent’g Comm’n, Compassionate Release Data Report 1, 17 (2025), https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/federal-sentencing-statistics/compassionate-release/FY24-Compassionate-Release.pdf.

    [22] Order for Immediate Release of Defendant Bovis, United States v. Bovis, No. 20-cr-00204, Dkt. 100 (N.D. Cal. Mar. 6, 2025); see also United States v. Diggs, No. 02-CR-1129, 2025 WL 1371367, at *8 (N.D. Ill. May 12, 2025) (granting compassionate release after finding “BOP has shown no intention and/or ability to provide the necessary care [to the petitioner], despite its doctors’ recommendations”).

    [23] Angel San Juan, Prison Pay: Low Pay Rates for Correctional Officers is Creating a Staffing Crisis, 6KFDM (May 19, 2023), https://kfdm.com/news/local/prison-pay-low-pay-rates-for-correctional-officers-is-creating-a-staffing-crisis.

    [24] U.S. Dep’t of Just., Off. of the Inspector Gen., 24-041, Evaluation of Issues Surrounding Inmate deaths in Fed. Bureau of Prisons Inst. 1, 65 (2024), https://oig.justice.gov/sites/default/files/reports/24-041.pdf.

    [25] Id.

    [26] Id. at 54, 67, 70.

    [27] Though Congress recently provided $5 billion in additional funding to BOP, see Act of July 4, 2025, Pub. L. No. 119-21, this appropriation represents just the first small step needed to begin to correct the institutional problems caused by underfunding BOP. Commission consideration in this area remains imminently necessary given the longstanding and ongoing impacts of BOP challenges on effectuating the purposes of sentencing.

    [28] Letter from Richard J. Durbin, U.S. Senator, Adam B. Schiff, U.S. Senator, Sheldon Whitehouse, U.S. Senator, Mazie K. Hirono, U.S. Senator, Cory A. Booker, U.S. Senator, Alex Padilla, U.S. Senator, and Peter Welch, U.S. Senator, to Pam Bondi, U.S. Att’y Gen. (Feb. 25, 2025), https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Letter%20to%20AG%20Bondi%20re%20BOP%20facilities%20for%20ICE.pdf.

    [29] Id.

    [30] 28 U.S.C. § 994(g).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gosar Secures Reauthorization and Expansion of RECA for Mohave County, Arizona, Votes in Favor of the One Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Paul A Gosar DDS (AZ-04)

    Washington, D.C. — Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09), issued the following statement after voting in favor of passage of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act: 

    “I am very pleased to have once again voted in favor of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, legislation that provides historic tax relief to middle-class Americans, reigns in wasteful spending, restores fiscal sanity and slashes the deficit by more than $2 trillion by enacting policies that will fuel America’s economic growth.

    Importantly, the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers for all Arizonans.  

    First and foremost, I am especially pleased that the One Big Beautiful Bill includes my legislation reauthorizing the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) and corrects an administrative oversight in the RECA Act of 1990 that arbitrarily excluded areas of Mohave County, Arizona.  Atomic weapons testing conducted during the Cold War came with a heavy cost to Americans living in Arizona, Nevada and within tribal communities.  Since first being elected to Congress, I have worked tirelessly to ensure that RECA not only be reauthorized but also expanded so that every person, known as a “downwinder,” who developed cancer or other related illnesses after being exposed to radiation from atomic weapons testing at the Nevada Test Site deserves to be compensated for being poisoned by a negligent federal government.  

    Second, the One Big Beautiful Bill includes my legislation boosting solar and wind power on publiclands to help lower energy prices, unlock energy production and meet our nation’s growing energy demand.  It also ensures revenue from their development is shared with the states and counties while also supporting conservation programs where these projects are located.  

    Third, a typical Arizona family with two children will see their take-home pay increase between $7,500 and $12,800.  Without this legislation, families across my district were on track to face a massive tax hike on December 31, 2025. The bill also eliminates taxes on tips and overtime and slashes taxes on Social Security for seniors.  The bill also raises the child tax credit, increases childcare tax credits and establishes $1,000 savings accounts for newborn babies to support growth and advancement while helping ease the burden on families.

    Next, the bill provides historic investments to strengthen our nation’s border security by fully funding President Trump’s border wall and giving Border Patrol and ICE agents the resources, technology, and personnel they need to swiftly detain and deport the millions of illegal aliens welcomed into our country by Joe Biden.  As a border state, Arizonans have felt firsthand the destruction caused by Biden’s open border policies. Crime has ravaged our neighborhoods, deadly drugs, including fentanyl, have ruined our families, and our communities are withering under the economic strain on public resources needed to combat Biden’s border invasion.

    The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers for Arizonans, upholds the promise to secure the border, locks in permanent tax relief, unleashes American energy and reverses course on out-of-control spending by securing the largest spending reductions in American history. These are transformational policies that support all Americans for generations and were delivered by a Republican majority in Congress that listened.  I look forward to President Trump signing the One Big Beautiful Bill into law,” concluded Congressman Paul Gosar.

    MIL OSI USA News –