NewzIntel.com

Category: Trump

  • MIL-OSI USA: Educators react to Trump administration unfreezing remaining federal funds

    Source: US National Education Union

    WASHINGTON — According to media reports, the Trump administration will release the remaining $5.5 billion in delayed federal K-12 funding. Students, educators and school leaders across the country have been in limbo for nearly a month and warned that the unlawful freeze threatened summer and afterschool programs, school staffing, and academic supports for the upcoming school year. On June 30, the Department of Education announced to state education associations in a three-sentence email that it would withhold almost $6.9 billion in funding. However, on July 18, after facing mounting bipartisan pressure, the administration said it would release $1.3 billion in grants for summer and after-school programs if states provided new assurances as to how the funds would be spent.

    The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle: 

    “Playing games with students’ futures has real-world consequences. School districts in every state have been scrambling to figure out how they will continue to meet student needs without this vital federal funding, and many students in parts of the country have already headed back to school. These reckless funding delays have undermined planning, staffing, and support services at a time when schools should be focused on preparing students for success. 

    “Sadly, this is part of a broader pattern by this administration of undermining public education—starving it of resources, sowing distrust, and pushing privatization at the expense of the nation’s most vulnerable students. And they are doing this at the same time Congress has passed a budget bill that will devastate our students, schools, and communities by slashing funds meant for public education, health care, and keeping students from their school meals—all to finance massive tax breaks for billionaires. The members of the National Education Association will continue to advocate for stable, transparent, and timely support for every public school and every child they serve. We will stand up, speak out, and take action to ensure every classroom is a place of dignity, opportunity, and respect.” 

    Follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/neapresident.bsky.social and https://bsky.app/profile/neatoday.bsky.social  

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    The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Joins Van Hollen, Colleague to Call on Administration to Conduct Independent, U.S.-Led Investigation Into Death of American Citizen in West Bank

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Senators also press for an update on any investigations into the killings of 6 other Americans in the West Bank
    Washington (July 24, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) today joined Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and 27 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi calling on the Administration to conduct an independent investigation into the death of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, an American citizen recently killed near the West Bank town of Sinjil. The Senators point to the repeated lack of accountability in the deaths of other American citizens killed in the West Bank since January 2022, including Shireen Abu Akleh, Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee. Given that, the Senators also ask for an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of these six other Americans.
    The Senators write, “We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The United States Government has failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other five American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, and Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee – killed in the West Bank since January 2022. Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.”
    “Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and an inability to secure justice by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to incidents where civilians have been killed in the West Bank, including Americans,” they continue.
    The Senators note, “The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths.”
    “It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank,” the Senators close.
    The letter was signed by Senators Murray, Kaine, Durbin, Reed, Shaheen, Schatz, Merkley, Sanders, Warner, Warren, Cantwell, Welch, Smith, Baldwin, Warnock, Lujan, Ossoff, Kim, Heinrich, Duckworth, Klobuchar, Whitehouse, Hirono, Booker, Alsobrooks, Blunt Rochester, and Murphy.
    The full text of the letter is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Cramer, Fedorchak Request Major Disaster Declaration Following Tornadoes in North Dakota

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    07.25.25
    WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak today supported Governor Kelly Armstrong’s request for a major disaster declaration following the destructive derecho storm that impacted North Dakota on June 20–21, 2025. The delegation requested that the Trump administration quickly approve North Dakota’s request to provide federal assistance for recovery efforts in 19 counties across southern, central, and eastern North Dakota.
    “…the storm system caused unavoidable damages to infrastructure and property, and tragically took the lives of 4 North Dakotans…This disaster not only destroyed North Dakotans’ homes and businesses, but negatively impacted our farmers and ranchers, as well as rural electric cooperatives,” wrote the delegation. “Critical buildings, equipment, silos, grain bins and elevators were damaged or lost just months ahead of the fall harvest. The straight-line winds were extremely harmful to electrical infrastructure. At the peak of the derecho, nearly 37,000 homes and businesses were without power, and in rural areas, service was disrupted for as long as a week…We support the State’s request and urge you to approve it as soon as possible so the necessary Federal resources can be made available to North Dakotans.”
    Full text of the delegation’s letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Seek Answers on So-Called “One Big Beautiful Bill’s” Impact on Illinois Hospitals

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    July 25, 2025
    In a letter that was sent to every hospital in Illinois, Duckworth and Durbin request information about how each hospital anticipates to be impacted by Republicans’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”
    [CHICAGO, IL] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today sent a letter to every hospital in Illinois requesting information about the projected impact analysis of the Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. As a result of the legislation, over 15 million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including approximately half a million people in Illinois, and hospitals that rely on Medicaid funding, especially those in rural areas, face risk of closure. Further, it’s estimated that 30,000 health care jobs will be lost over the next decade as a result of the bill.
    “Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act. We voted against the measure. We write to request information about how this Republican-passed law will affect your hospital, health care workforce, and the patients you serve across Illinois,” the Senators began their letter.
    “The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that federal Medicaid spending for Illinois will be reduced by 19 percent. These cuts include freezing and reducing provider taxes and state directed payments that hospitals across Illinois depend on to help finance the Medicaid system and make up for low reimbursement rates. The Republican-passed law also will raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by restricting eligibility and raising out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries,” the Senators continued. “Based upon the estimated 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding, and increased uncompensated care costs from deep insurance coverage losses, we worry that hospitals will face severe financial hardship, and patients will suffer.
    Duckworth and Durbin closed their letter by requesting detailed information about the impacts of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act on each hospital, including if patients can expect critical services like obstetrics to be eliminated, how many health care jobs may be lost, and how hospital uncompensated care costs will increase as Illinoisans lose access to their insurance.
    “To help inform legislative efforts to improve health care and strengthen hospitals across Illinois, we request the following information and analysis from your hospital about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by August 22, 2025,” the Senators requested.
    “If faced with a 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding as a result of this law, what changes would your hospital be forced to make to maintain viability?” the Senators asked as they concluded their letter.
    Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
     
    Dear Hospital Administrator:
    Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). We voted against the measure. We write to request information about how this Republican-passed law will affect your hospital, health care workforce, and the patients you serve across Illinois.
    Republicans in Congress voted for legislation that cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that federal Medicaid spending for Illinois will be reduced by 19 percent. These cuts include freezing and reducing provider taxes and state directed payments that hospitals across Illinois depend on to help finance the Medicaid system and make up for low reimbursement rates. The Republican-passed law also will raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by restricting eligibility and raising out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries.
    Fifteen million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including approximately half a million people in Illinois—impacting children, pregnant women, seniors, and individuals with disabilities across rural and urban areas. In Illinois, it is estimated that 30,000 health care jobs will be lost over the next decade as a result of this legislation. For rural hospitals that are often the largest employers in a community, this could be devastating.
    Hospitals, like any business, must make forecasts and plan their budgets months and years in advance to ensure proper resource allocation and capacity. Based upon the estimated 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding, and increased uncompensated care costs from deep insurance coverage losses, we worry that hospitals will face severe financial hardship, and patients will suffer.
    In addition to opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we have worked on bipartisan legislation to strengthen the health care system, including bills to: bolster the pipeline and recruitment of physicians, nurses, behavioral health providers and dentists; increase funding for rural ambulance services; save rural hospitals facing financial hardship, address maternal mortality and chronic disease; and lower prescription drug costs.
    To help inform legislative efforts to improve health care and strengthen hospitals across Illinois, we request the following information and analysis from your hospital about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by August 22, 2025.
    What percent of your inpatient and outpatient services are paid for by Medicaid, and what percent of such patients are covered by the program?
    What is your hospital’s current operating margin, and, as a result of this law, what do you anticipate it to be in 2028, 2031, and 2034?
    What is the projected annual financial loss to your hospital as a result of this law?
    What is the projected increase in annual uncompensated care provided by your hospital as a result of this law?
    If faced with a 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding as a result of this law, what changes would your hospital be forced to make to maintain viability?
    Please identify which service lines would be the most likely or first to face reductions or termination.
    If your hospital currently offers obstetrics/labor and delivery services, do you anticipate continuing to do so in the same manner by 2030?
    How do you project emergency room wait times will be impacted by this law?
    How do you expect your projected financial losses to affect the economy of your local communities?
    If Congressional Republicans attempt to implement additional Medicaid or Affordable Care Act cuts this Congress, including by reducing or eliminating the 90 percent federal cost-share for Medicaid expansion states, how do you expect this would affect your finances?
    Thank you for your attention to this matter, we look forward to your response. Please contact our offices with any questions and to transmit your response.
    Sincerely,
     
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sullivan, Senate Colleagues Advocate for Critical NIH Research Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Dan Sullivan

    07.25.25

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.), and 12 of their Republican colleagues, sent a letter to Russell Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), advocating for the disbursement of appropriated funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in order to advance President Trump’s goals of curing diseases and making America healthy again.

    The letter requests that the administration implement the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, which President Trump signed into law earlier this year. This legislation contains critical funding to support NIH initiatives across a range of critical research areas, including, but not limited to, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and rare pediatric disorders.

    “We are concerned by the slow disbursement rate of FY25 NIH funds, as it risks undermining critical research and the thousands of American jobs it supports. Suspension of these appropriated funds – whether formally withheld or functionally delayed — could threaten Americans’ ability to access better treatments and limit our nation’s leadership in biomedical science. It also risks inadvertently severing ongoing NIH-funded research prior to actionable results,” wrote the Senators.

    The Senators continued, “We share your commitment to ensuring NIH funds are used responsibly and not diverted to ideological or unaccountable programs. We are confident Secretary Kennedy and Director Bhattacharya are well positioned to uphold gold standard research by ensuring that NIH awards are grounded in transparency, scientific merit, and a clear alignment with national interests. Our shared goal is to restore public trust in the NIH precisely because its work is focused on results, accountability, and real-world impact. Withholding or suspending these funds would jeopardize that trust and hinder progress on critical health challenges facing our nation. Ultimately, this is about finding cures and seeing them through to fruition.”

    Senators Sullivan and Britt were joined by Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jerry Moran (R-Kans.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

    Full text of the letter can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Peters Secures Funding for Great Lakes, Michigan’s Water Infrastructure in Appropriations Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

    WASHINGTON, DC?– U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) helped the Senate Appropriations Committee pass the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bipartisan legislation would provide funding for Michigan priorities and high-impact local projects to strengthen water infrastructure, protect our wildlife and environment, and improve access to clean drinking water for Michiganders. As Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, Peters also advocated and secured funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which plays a critical role in protecting and restoring Great Lakes waterways and habitats. The bill now advances to the full Senate.

    “Protecting our Great Lakes and Michiganders’ access to clean drinking water have been some of my top priorities,” said Senator Peters, Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force.“This bipartisan legislation helps us accomplish those things by investing in our state’s water infrastructure, removing dangerous lead pipes, and working to protect folks from exposure to toxic PFAS contamination. The bill also makes sure the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a historic program that keeps our Great Lakes healthy and vibrant, continues to receive funding to carry out essential cleanup projects in our state.”  

    The bill includes numerous measures led and supported by Peters, including:

    Protecting our Great Lakes, Fisheries, and Environment

    Funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Peters fought and secured continued funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). The GLRI is the largest investment in the Great Lakes’ health, ecosystem, and water quality. Since the program’s inception in 2010, $4 billion has been used to fund over 8,000 projects to combat the greatest threats to the Great Lakes, including invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and loss of fish and wildlife habitats. During his time in the Senate, Peters has championed the GLRI, and earlier this year led the effort to introduce the?Great Lakes Restoration Act of 2025,?which would reauthorize the program and increase its annual authorized funding levels.

    Keeping Invasive Carp Out of the Great Lakes: Invasive carp pose a grave risk to the lasting health of our Great Lakes. That’s why this bill provides funding for the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aquatic Invasive Species program, which supports Great Lakes Basin-wide efforts to combat aquatic invasive species, including invasive carp. This work helps assess the threats posed by invasive carp to the Great Lakes and supports efforts to detect and respond to new invasive species. The bill also provides funding for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program which produces essential research, detection methods, and tools to help keep invasive carp out of the Great Lakes. Finally, the bill also provides funding for efforts to monitor, detect, and respond to aquatic nuisance species within the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain Systems.

    Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration: The bill protects funding for The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act, which helps fund critical fish and wildlife projects in the Great Lakes Basin. Funding from this program has helped establish ecosystem management tools, restored wetlands and aquatic habitat, and advanced fish and wildlife monitoring and modeling.

    Great Lakes Science Center: Peters secured funding in the bill to support the Great Lakes Science Center, which works to enhance our understanding of the Great Lakes’ complex ecosystem through studies and collaboration with a wide range of partners.

    Forest Service: The bill provides robust funding for the Forest Service. These resources will help ensure adequate staffing levels and improve forest restoration and fire risk reduction efforts.

    Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF): The bill allocates funding for federal land acquisition and financial assistance to states through the?Great American Outdoors Act. This program is critical for improving recreational access to our federal lands, protecting iconic landscapes, delivering grants to states and local governments to create and protect urban parks and open spaces. It also provides farmers and ranchers with easements to allow them to continue to steward their private lands in the face of development pressures.

    Addressing Wildfires: As catastrophic wildfires grow in size and frequency, it is essential that support for, and investments in, the federal firefighting workforce keep pace. As such, this bill fully funds essential wildfire preparedness and suppression efforts by providing $4.25 billion for wildfire suppression, of which $2.85 billion is for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund. The Reserve Fund provides the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior with an assured amount of funding to be used when major fire activity requires expenditures exceeding regular base suppression operations funding. This bill also provides much-needed funding to help prevent a devastating pay cut for the federal firefighting workforce. 

    Strengthening Michigan’s Water Infrastructure & Ensuring Clean Drinking Water

    Addressing PFAS: Michigan communities and residents continue to face severe challenges with toxic PFAS contamination. Michigan is home to a number of military installations where PFAS contamination has been detected, including Camp Grayling and the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda. The bill provides much needed funding for PFAS research and remediation efforts. Peters has led and championed numerous efforts in the Senate to address PFAS. Peters convened the first-ever hearing on PFAS contamination in the Senate, then convened a field summit in Grand Rapids in November 2018 to shine a light on how local, state and federal governments are coordinating responses to address PFAS contamination. Peters introduced and advanced bipartisan legislation to reduce the spread of PFAS chemicals at commercial airports. Peters’ Preventing PFAS Runoff at Airports Act, which was signed into law in 2022, is working to deploy more existing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding for commercial airports to purchase devices to test their firefighting equipment without discharging toxic PFAS chemicals. In 2022, Peters’ bill to help protect firefighters and emergency responders from PFAS exposure in the line of duty was also signed into law.

    Bolstering Lead Abatement Programs: Lead poisoning continues to be a public health challenge in areas with aging infrastructure, causing life-long health impacts particularly among children. Peters helped secure funding for critical programs that support communities seeking to clean up lead contaminated waste sites, replace toxic lead pipes, and minimize exposure in surrounding areas. The bill includes funding for the Lead Testing in Schools Program and Reducing Lead in Drinking Water Program.

    Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds: The bill restores funding for both the Drinking Water and the Clean Water State Revolving Funds, which the Trump Administration had proposed slashing by nearly 90 percent. The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are vital to protecting Michigan’s water resources and rebuilding critical water infrastructure. These projects provide Michigan residents with significant benefits, ranging from reduced exposure to pollution to lead-free drinking water. While the primary focus of the state revolving funds is offering financing solutions for water infrastructure for wastewater, storm water, and drinking water systems, the funds also reduce energy waste and decrease water system rates, improving affordability. 

    Mitigate PFAS Contamination, Provide Safe Drinking Water for Residents of Grayling Township: The bill provides $3,000,000 to deliver clean, safe drinking through a new municipal water system to residents whose water wells have been contaminated from PFAS migrating off the Grayling Army Airfield and Camp Grayling.

    Improve Water Reliability in Grand Blanc: The bill provides $1,000,000 to modernize critical water infrastructure throughout Grand Blanc, reducing inefficiencies and water loss and improving water reliability for residents and businesses.

    Strengthen St. Ignace’s Water and Wastewater System: The bill provides $36,000 for St. Ignace to update its system that controls the alarms and communication between water wastewater plants as well as other facility operations.

    Upgrade the Aging Freud & Conners Creek Pump Stations: The bill provides $1,000,000 to make improvements to the aging Freud and Conner Creek pump stations.

    Improve Wastewater Management in Oakwood: The bill provides $1,000,000 to improve wastewater management in Oakwood, Michigan.

    Upgrade Marquette County K.I. Sawyer Wastewater Treatment Plant: The bill provides $1,370,000 to upgrade the disinfection system at the K.I. Sawyer Wastewater Treatment Plant.

    Pontiac Drinking Water System Improvements: The bill provides $1,000,000 to improve drinking water quality and reliability for Pontiac residents.

    Lead Service Lines Replacement in Redford Charter Township: The bill provides $1,000,000 to replace lead service lines in Redford Charter Township.

    Supporting New Drinking Water Well for Village of Bellevue: The bill provides $144,000 to help build a new drinking water well in the Village of Bellevue to ensure continued safe drinking water for the residents and surrounding community.

    Protecting and Preserving Public Lands and Cultural Resources

    Preservation of the Historic Freer House at Wayne State University: The bill provides $550,000 for Wayne State University to repair and replace damaged and deteriorating parts of the historic Charles Lang Freer House, which is an important part of Detroit’s cultural heritage.

    Funding for the National Park Service: The bill includes nearly $3 billion to support National Park Service (NPS) operations. This funding will allow NPS to more effectively manage its 433 national parks, monuments, historical sites and other recreational areas that encompass nearly 84 million acres of land across the United States. Michigan is proud to be home to five National Parks, which draw more than 2.5 million visitors to the state annually.

    Supporting the National Heritage Areas Program: Peters helped secure funding for the National Park Service’s Heritage Partnership Program. National Heritage Areas (NHAs) across the country commemorate, conserve, and promote important natural, scenic, historic, and cultural resources, delivering recreational and educational opportunities to visitors, residents, and entire regions. NHAs are key for economic development in their communities. Michigan’s MotorCities NHA alone creates an economic impact every year of nearly $490 million including?5,343 jobs and $40 million in tax revenues.

    Protecting Tribal Nations

    Tribal Programs: In total, the bill provides $12 billion for Tribal programs across the Department of the Interior and the Indian Health Service, rejecting President Trump’s proposed cuts of nearly $1 billion from Tribal programs. 

    Indian Health Service (IHS):The bill provides $8 billion in total resources for IHS to maintain critically important health care services and maintain current staffing for doctors, nurses, and health services staff.

    Supporting Tribal Self-Governance and Essential Services: The bill provides $1.91 billion, an increase in funding, for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ operations of Indian programs. This funds essential government services in critical areas like roads and infrastructure, housing improvement, natural resources protection, Tribal courts, economic development, and social services. This funding is essential for Tribal governments exercising self-determination and crucial to upholding the federal government’s trust responsibility.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: The One Big Beautiful Bill is a Historic Investment in Rural Healthcare

    Source: US Whitehouse

    Today’s White House memo “The One Big Beautiful Bill is a Historic Investment in Rural Healthcare” outlines in detail how the President’s landmark legislation makes historic investments in vulnerable communities to ensure healthcare options are made sustainable for Americans who rely on these options for their care.

    TRANSFORMING RURAL CARE WITH HISTORIC INVESTMENTS AND RADICAL TRANSPARENCY

    The Rural Health Transformation Program will provide unprecedented new funding to states for a range of uses designed to make rural healthcare more effective and sustainable for the long term. Collaborating with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), states must submit detailed rural health transformation plans on how these resources will be put to work improving access to healthcare providers in their communities and ultimately improving health outcomes. CMS will monitor implementation and hold states accountable to this plan to ensure resources are appropriately distributed and going to the most deserving, not the most politically connected.

    ENSURING SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL CARE BY ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES

    Unlike smaller programs that have been traditionally the main mechanisms to support rural care, the Rural Health Transformation Program is uniquely designed to promote innovation and long-term sustainability of rural healthcare.

    Rural hospitals suffer from chronic challenges with extremely low patient volume. They have both smaller bed counts than urban hospitals and occupancy rates that are much lower (37%) than those of their urban counterparts (62%). Therefore, when programs link funding to reimbursements for services provided—as these legacy programs do—these programs do not promote long-term sustainability as the overall volume of services provided in these facilities remains low. In other words, these programs do not actually provide hospitals with investments that would help them sustain themselves.

    Distinct from these other programs, the Rural Health Transformation Program is designed to promote innovation in payment and flexibility. These funds can be used to help these facilities make investments necessary to better meet the needs of the communities they serve and become more sustainable over the long term.

    HEALTH INDUSTRY PROMOTES FLAWED ANALYSES TO HIDE THE REAL POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

    Rural hospitals only receive 7% of Medicaid hospital spending. Yet, industry leaders and lobbyists continue to cry foul, and fearmonger that the law puts rural care facilities at risk when in actuality the OBBB delivers historic investments into the Rural Health Transformation Program to ensure underserved rural hospitals are strengthened, a monumental victory that should be celebrated after years of neglect and lack of financial support.

    The disparity between urban and rural hospitals clearly shows how the waste, fraud, and abuse that proliferated under the Biden Administration did not benefit the most vulnerable hospitals. The OBBB aggressively goes after that waste, fraud, and abuse by enforcing eligibility requirements, prioritizing work over welfare, and putting Americans first by removing non-citizens and ending financing gimmicks used to subsidize coverage for illegal immigrants. This momentous effort to combat waste, fraud, and abuse is what allowed Congress and the Trump Administration to make this historic investment in rationalizing our health care system by actually ensuring new healthcare dollars reach facilities in vulnerable communities to help make them sustainable for good.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger, Lee Introduce Legislation to Reverse Biden-Era LNG Regulation

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — As first reported in The Daily Caller, Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) and Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) introduced legislation to reverse a misguided Biden-era regulation on American LNG Exports. The Cutting LNG Bunkering Red Tape Act codifies a Trump-era Department of Energy (DOE) order clarifying that ship-to-ship transfers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) used as marine fuel—commonly known as LNG bunkering—are not considered exports under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act unless conducted in foreign waters.

    “LNG exports unequivocally benefit our economy, domestic prices, national security, and partners and allies around the world that want our product. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration spent four years imposing one regulation after another on these exports, stifling the energy industry,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This legislation permanently reverses one of these misguided policies to ensure American LNG can compete on the global stage by removing regulatory uncertainty and streamlining its use as a cleaner, more efficient fuel source for maritime transportation. I am proud to lead this legislation with my good friend from Florida, Representative Laurel Lee.”

    “The Biden Administration’s harmful energy policies have created unnecessary regulatory burdens that stall innovation and weaken American energy leadership,” said Rep. Lee. “Liquefied natural gas is a more efficient, cleaner, and cost-effective energy source. My bill ensures that LNG bunkering is not hindered by red tape, so that ports in Florida and across the nation can continue to expand, drive job creation, and compete globally.”

    Read the full text of this legislation here.

    Background:

    ·     In December 2024, the Biden Administration issued a DOE order that asserted new oversight for LNG bunkering—transfers between ships in U.S. ports—subjecting it to burdensome federal regulations and requiring a public interest determination under the Natural Gas Act.

    ·     This policy disrupted domestic LNG markets and created unnecessary red tape for companies investing in LNG infrastructure and fuel options.

    ·     The Trump Administration later reversed the Biden-era interpretation, clarifying that LNG bunkering is not an export unless it occurs in foreign waters.

    ·     This bill codifies this Trump-era decision, ensuring long-term regulatory certainty and allowing the U.S. LNG market to continue growing without additional federal barriers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norcross, Conaway Visit Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Conduct Oversight of Trump Administration

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Donald Norcross (1st District of New Jersey)

    CHERRY HILL, NJ — Today, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) and Congressman Herb Conaway (NJ-03) visited Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, one week after receiving a letter from Defense Secretary Hegseth informing the Representatives that the military base will be used as a detention site for undocumented immigrants.

    “Last week, Defense Secretary Hegseth informed us that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst will be used as a detention site for undocumented immigrants. Today, I joined Congressman Conaway for a meeting at the base to perform our congressional duty of oversight,” said Congressman Donald Norcross. “The fact that the base hasn’t received any information to prepare to house undocumented immigrants shows the chaos and confusion that surrounds the Trump Administration. This administration has shown time and time again that they will ignore due process, but we must ensure proper use of our military facilities and uphold human rights standards.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AG Brown files a lawsuit against the Trump administration for subverting Congress by canceling millions in funds to provide shelter for migrants

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE – Attorney General Nick Brown today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for unlawfully canceling more than $4 million in congressionally approved funds intended to help the state provide shelter and support to migrants as they await further action on their asylum or other immigration claims.

    Since 2019—in a law signed by President Trump in his first term—Congress has provided funds to help states, local jurisdictions, and nonprofit organizations offer emergency food and shelter to noncitizen migrants after their release from DHS custody. As tens of thousands of humanitarian migrants arrived in Washington between 2022 and 2024, local shelters and municipalities struggled to meet the needs of these newcomers, which prompted the state to take action, including by applying for federal funds through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Shelter and Services Program.

    FEMA, which is part of DHS, awarded Washington more than $4 million in SSP funds. But before Washington could request payment under the award, FEMA unlawfully froze and later terminated the funding in a continuation of the Trump administration’s efforts to deprive states, like Washington, of federal funding to support the health and safety of migrants.

    “Once again, the Trump administration is breaking the law and ignoring Congress,” Brown said. “Congress created a program to provide funding for shelter for migrants. But now the president has illegally yanked the funds, ignoring the separation of powers, simply because he doesn’t like the program.”

    As the complaint notes, by creating a program intended to relieve overcrowding in federal short-term detention facilities, Congress “made a conscious choice to provide funds in a manner that would benefit some individuals who may have entered into the United States unlawfully.”

    As a result of broader migration trends that resulted in millions of people crossing the southwest border into the U.S. between 2019 and 2024, the number of noncitizen migrants present in Washington climbed ten-fold to 45,603 in 2024 from 4,156 in 2022. The state’s housing and homeless crisis response system was strained, and most emergency shelters were already filled each night, leaving thousands of newly arrived migrants homeless.

    Washington responded by appropriating $25 million for the Washington Migrant and Asylum-Seeker Support Project (the WA MASS Project), which was launched in October 2024 to help newly arrived migrants meet their basic needs such as shelter, food, and access to medical care. But the state recognized that more was needed and sought federal funding through the Shelter and Services Program.

    Brown argues in the complaint that DHS violated the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine because the Constitution grants “the power of the purse” to Congress and not the president. That means the administration can’t refuse to pay out funds already approved by Congress “simply because of policy objections,” the complaint states. He also alleges that DHS has violated the Administrative Procedure Act by taking actions that are arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.

    Brown is asking the court to declare DHS’s decision to terminate the Shelter and Services Program unlawful and order the federal agency to restore the funding program.

    A copy of the complaint is available here.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta, Coalition Secure Temporary Agreement Pausing Restrictions on Head Start, Other Public Benefit Programs

    Source: US State of California

    Friday, July 25, 2025

    Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

    Agreement prevents Trump Administration from making any changes to eligibility requirements based on immigration status for these programs before September 3, 2025 

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 20 other attorneys general today announced securing an agreement temporarily preventing the Trump Administration from implementing various agency notices significantly expanding federal public benefit ineligibility based on immigration status before September 3, 2025. Earlier this week, the coalition filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s abrupt reversal of nearly three decades of federal practice that allowed 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. These programs include 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 others. The coalition continues to seek a court order enjoining the Trump Administration from implementing the order for the duration of the litigation. 

    “The Trump Administration threw Head Start and other social safety net programs into chaos when it abruptly reversed nearly three decades of federal law and policy that opened these programs up to all,” said Attorney General Bonta. “With today’s agreement, these critical programs — and the families who rely on them — can breathe a little easier. California will not back down in the fight to protect access to these programs that help ensure that our communities thrive.”

    A copy of the stipulation is available here. 

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: HARSHBARGER: President Trump is Proving Nay Sayers Wrong AGAIN

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) issued the following statement applauding President Donald J. Trump for securing two groundbreaking trade agreements with Indonesia and Japan yesterday: 

    “President Trump just delivered two major trade victories for America. While Democrats have been sowing discord crying about economic disaster, President Trump was doing what he does best, negotiating from strength and putting America first. These deals with Japan and Indonesia are just the beginning of America’s comeback to supercharge our economy and create new jobs. From farmers and cattle producers to auto suppliers and manufacturers, this is the kind of bold, America-first policy that makes a real difference in places like East Tennessee.” – Congresswoman Harshbarger

    BACKGROUND:

    Under these agreements, Indonesia will eliminate 99% of its tariffs on American industrial, tech, and agricultural goods, while Japan is investing $550 billion into the U.S. economy, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. American-made cars, trucks, rice, beef, critical minerals, and energy will now compete on a level playing field in Indonesia and Japan.

     Tennessee’s First Congressional District is uniquely positioned to benefit from these historic agreements. With a strong base of advanced manufacturing, agricultural production, and exports, the region is now better positioned to reach high-demand markets abroad. Local manufacturers will see new opportunities to export auto parts and precision equipment as barriers come down in Indonesia’s rapidly growing economy.

    At the same time, Northeast Tennessee’s agriculture industry will gain access to tens of millions of new consumers in both Japan and Indonesia thanks to reduced tariffs and expanded agricultural quotas. Japan’s $550 billion investment in the U.S. and Indonesia’s new mineral supply agreements also means long-term growth for Tennessee’s industrial sector and supply chains.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Q&A: National Whistleblower Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    Q: What’s your most recent work to strengthen whistleblower protections?

    A: Estimates show federal contractors outnumber roughly two million civilian employees in the federal workforce. In July I introduced bipartisan legislation to address gaps in existing federal law that leave millions of people who work as federal contractors vulnerable to reprisal if they report waste, fraud and abuse in federal agencies. As a longtime champion for whistleblowers, I’m pushing to close this loophole with Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan. Our Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act is another step we can take to empower the millions of contractors who work for federal agencies to be the eyes and ears on behalf of the taxpayer. Whistleblowers provide a crucial layer of protection for the American public to ferret out fraud and mismanagement, from tax evasion, to securities law violations and patient safety. As a co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Whistleblower Protection Caucus, I’m constantly on the lookout for ways to support and encourage people to come forward with credible information to root out wrongdoing and help ensure the government works on behalf of the American people, not the other way around. Whistleblowers put their jobs and reputations on the line to tell the truth.

    Earlier this year, I introduced bipartisan legislation to ensure whistleblower protections keep pace with the fast-growing Artificial Intelligence (AI) industry. The rapid growth in AI would benefit from disclosures of wrongdoing brought forward by whistleblowers to hold the industry accountable and protect national security, public health, privacy and public safety. Employees working within the AI sector deserve whistleblower protections that would empower those helping to develop this new frontier of technology to report wrongdoing. AI has the potential to reshape daily life, our economy and the geopolitical landscape. My Artificial Intelligence Whistleblower Protection Act would provide explicit whistleblower protections for those developing and deploying AI across the economy. To date AI companies have fostered a chilling effect on current and former employees looking to make whistleblower disclosures to the federal government, including Congress. My bipartisan legislation strengthens federal laws to shield the communications of current and former employees who make disclosures. It also would provide relief for AI whistleblowers who suffer retaliation, including reinstatement, back pay and compensation for damages.

    Q: How did your advocacy for whistleblowers get started?

    A: For nearly five decades, I’ve led efforts on Capitol Hill to protect those who come forward to tell the truth. My oversight work digging under the hood of the Pentagon’s financial mess was prompted by civilian employees who blew the whistle on defense contractor fraud. That includes a staff analyst at the Department of Defense named Chuck Spinney who graced the cover of Time magazine in 1983 for blowing the whistle on billions of dollars of wasteful spending at the Pentagon and the practice of keeping two sets of books. He exposed the $750 billion dollar mismatch between the Pentagon’s Five Year Defense Program (FYDP) and budget. The bureaucrats were trying to squeeze ten pounds of manure into a five pound bag and got caught. I’ve been doggedly working to tighten the Pentagon’s fiscal leash ever since. Whistleblowers from across the federal bureaucracy who step forward to “commit the truth” – like Chuck Spinney and Ernie Fitzgerald – help hold government accountable to the American people. Since my first term in the Senate, my door is open to whistleblowers as part of my congressional oversight work. It also prompted me to write bipartisan landmark amendments in 1986 to beef up the False Claims Act, a tool deployed by President Abraham Lincoln to root out fraudsters during the Civil War. The qui tam amendments are the federal government’s #1 anti-fraud tool in its arsenal. To date, it’s helped recover more than $78 billion in fraud and deterred the loss of untold billions more over the last four decades. Last year, I wrote all 74 federal inspectors general to strengthen their whistleblower protections and stop using unlawful non-disclosure policies that stymie employees from reporting wrongdoing. I also recently wrote to President Trump urging that he protect whistleblowers while cutting federal waste, fraud, and abuse. Simply put, the work of whistleblowers is invaluable to American society. They are heroes among us who identify violations of law, gross mismanagement, negligence and threats to public health and safety. Whistleblowers who have the guts to stick their necks out to tell the truth – while putting their livelihoods and careers on the line – merit support and incentives under federal law for their bravery. Every year since the Reagan administration, I’ve called upon the president to hold a Rose Garden ceremony on Whistleblower Appreciation Day. Our nation owes these patriots a debt of gratitude. It also would send a clear message that retaliation for telling the truth will not be tolerated.

    National Whistleblower Day is July 30. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Seek Answers On So-Called One Big Beautiful Bill’s Impact On Hospitals In Illinois

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    July 25, 2025

    In a letter that was sent to every hospital in Illinois, Durbin and Duckworth request information about how each hospital anticipates to be impacted by the Republicans’ so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”

    SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today sent a letter to every hospital in Illinois requesting information about the projected impact analysis of the Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. As a result of the legislation, 15 million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including approximately half a million people in Illinois, and hospitals that rely on Medicaid funding, especially those in rural areas, face risk of closure. Further, it’s estimated that 30,000 health care jobs will be lost over the next decade as a result of the bill.

    “Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). We voted against the measure. We write to request information about how this Republican-passed law will affect your hospital, health care workforce, and the patients you serve across Illinois,” the Senators began their letter.

    “The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that federal Medicaid spending for Illinois will be reduced by 19 percent. These cuts include freezing and reducing provider taxes and state directed payments that hospitals across Illinois depend on to help finance the Medicaid system and make up for low reimbursement rates. The Republican-passed law also will raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by restricting eligibility and raising out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries,” the Senators continued. “Based upon the estimated 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding, and increased uncompensated care costs from deep insurance coverage losses, we worry that hospitals will face severe financial hardship, and patients will suffer.

    Durbin and Duckworth closed their letter by requesting detailed information about the impacts of the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act on each hospital, including if patients can expect critical services like obstetrics to be eliminated, how many health care jobs may be lost, and how hospital uncompensated care costs will increase as Illinoisans lose access to their insurance.

    “To help inform legislative efforts to improve health care and strengthen hospitals across Illinois, we request the following information and analysis from your hospital about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by August 22, 2025,” the Senators requested.

    “If faced with a 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding as a result of this law, what changes would your hospital be forced to make to maintain viability?” the Senators asked as they concluded their letter.

    A copy of the letter is available here and below:

    July 25, 2025

    Dear Hospital Administrator:

    Earlier this month, Congressional Republicans passed and President Trump signed into law the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21). We voted against the measure. We write to request information about how this Republican-passed law will affect your hospital, health care workforce, and the patients you serve across Illinois.

    Republicans in Congress voted for legislation that cuts $1 trillion in Medicaid funding and $300 billion in Affordable Care Act funding over the next decade. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that federal Medicaid spending for Illinois will be reduced by 19 percent. These cuts include freezing and reducing provider taxes and state directed payments that hospitals across Illinois depend on to help finance the Medicaid system and make up for low reimbursement rates. The Republican-passed law also will raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by restricting eligibility and raising out-of-pocket costs for Medicaid and Affordable Care Act beneficiaries.

    Fifteen million Americans are projected to lose health insurance coverage, including approximately half a million people in Illinois—impacting children, pregnant women, seniors, and individuals with disabilities across rural and urban areas. In Illinois, it is estimated that 30,000 health care jobs will be lost over the next decade as a result of this legislation. For rural hospitals that are often the largest employers in a community, this could be devastating.

    Hospitals, like any business, must make forecasts and plan their budgets months and years in advance to ensure proper resource allocation and capacity. Based upon the estimated 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding, and increased uncompensated care costs from deep insurance coverage losses, we worry that hospitals will face severe financial hardship, and patients will suffer.

    In addition to opposing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we have worked on bipartisan legislation to strengthen the health care system, including bills to: bolster the pipeline and recruitment of physicians, nurses, behavioral health providers and dentists; increase funding for rural ambulance services; save rural hospitals facing financial hardship, address maternal mortality and chronic disease; and lower prescription drug costs.

    To help inform legislative efforts to improve health care and strengthen hospitals across Illinois, we request the following information and analysis from your hospital about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by August 22, 2025.

    1. What percent of your inpatient and outpatient services are paid for by Medicaid, and what percent of such patients are covered by the program?
    1. What is your hospital’s current operating margin, and, as a result of this law, what do you anticipate it to be in 2028, 2031, and 2034?
    1. What is the projected annual financial loss to your hospital as a result of this law?
    1. What is the projected increase in annual uncompensated care provided by your hospital as a result of this law?
    1. If faced with a 19 percent cut to Medicaid funding as a result of this law, what changes would your hospital be forced to make to maintain viability?
      1. Please identify which service lines would be the most likely or first to face reductions or termination.
    1. If your hospital currently offers obstetrics/labor and delivery services, do you anticipate continuing to do so in the same manner by 2030?
    1. How do you project emergency room wait times will be impacted by this law?
    1. How do you expect your projected financial losses to affect the economy of your local communities?
    1. If Congressional Republicans attempt to implement additional Medicaid or Affordable Care Act cuts this Congress, including by reducing or eliminating the 90 percent federal cost-share for Medicaid expansion states, how do you expect this would affect your finances?

    Thank you for your attention to this matter, we look forward to your response. Please contact our offices with any questions and to transmit your response.

    Sincerely,

     

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain’s Statement on President Trump Signing the HALT Fentanyl Act into Law

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

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

    Chairwoman McClain’s Statement on President Trump Signing the HALT Fentanyl Act into Law

    Washington, July 16, 2025

    WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) released the following statement after President Trump signed the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act into law:

    “President Trump just sent a clear message to fentanyl traffickers: your time is up. This legislation gives law enforcement the tools they need to hold criminals accountable, protect our communities, and keep deadly fentanyl off our streets,” Chairwoman McClain said.

    This bill permanently makes fentanyl a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. It also strengthens law enforcement’s ability to prosecute fentanyl traffickers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain: “House Republicans Just Put America Back in the Lead on Crypto”

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

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

    WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) released the following statement after the House passed three major crypto bills: the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act, the CLARITY Act, and the GENIUS Act:

    “For too long, innovators and entrepreneurs have faced regulatory uncertainty that stifled growth. That ends now. House Republicans just put America back in the lead on crypto. Each of these bills is a critical step toward securing America’s leadership in the digital economy while providing accountability and oversight for the industry,” Chairwoman McClain said. “We’re answering President Trump’s call to make the United States the crypto capital of the world. I commend Chairman French Hill for his outstanding leadership in getting this done. House Republicans are leading the way.”

    The Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act stops the creation of a government-run digital dollar, protecting financial privacy and freedom. 

    The CLARITY Act sets clear rules for financial regulators, protects consumers, fixes loopholes, and supports innovation in the United States.

    The GENIUS Act creates clear rules for payment stablecoins, protecting consumers, and keeping the U.S. dollar at the foundation of the global financial system.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain Supports Rescissions Package to Rein in Wasteful Spending

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

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

    Chairwoman McClain Supports Rescissions Package to Rein in Wasteful Spending

    Washington, July 18, 2025

    WASHINGTON—House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) today voted to support the rescissions package submitted to Congress by the Trump administration, a common-sense step toward restoring fiscal responsibility and curbing unnecessary government spending.

    “Washington has a spending problem, and this package is another step in the right direction,” Chairwoman McClain said. “These targeted rescissions are about eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse, not cutting essential services. We cannot keep passing the buck to future generations. I’m proud to support this effort to streamline federal spending and protect hard-working taxpayers.”

    The rescissions package withdraws $9 billion in unspent federal funds, returning taxpayer dollars to the Treasury instead of allowing them to be used inefficiently or redirected without oversight.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairwoman McClain Applauds President Trump Signing Rescissions Package into Law

    Source: US House of Representatives Republicans

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

    Chairwoman McClain Applauds President Trump Signing Rescissions Package into Law

    Washington, July 24, 2025

    WASHINGTON—Today, House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) released the following statement after President Donald Trump signed into law the $9 billion rescissions package passed by Congress:

    “Today is a major win for American taxpayers. President Trump just made it official: wasteful Washington spending will not go unchecked,” Chairwoman McClain said. “Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars should be spent on real priorities, and House Republicans will continue to root out waste, fraud, and abuse.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Helps Lead Bill to Protect DACA Applicants’ and Recipients’ Data from Abuse by the Trump Administration

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)
    WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to weaponize federal data for mass deportations that include DACA recipients, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) helped introduce the Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act. This bill would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security from disclosing information of current and prospective DACA recipients to ICE, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or other law enforcement agencies for purposes outside of administering the DACA program. With over 100,000 initial applications still unprocessed and the Trump Administration’s aggressive mass deportation push, many DACA-eligible individuals are fearing retaliation, and this bill seeks to restore trust in the DACA process.
    “The Trump Administration’s attacks on law-abiding immigrant communities have DACA recipients living in fear that the data they provided the government will be used to separate them from their families,” said Senator Rosen. “I’ll always stand with Nevada’s DACA community, and I’ll continue doing everything I can to make sure they can have peace of mind. I’m proud to help introduce this important bill to protect the sensitive information of DACA recipients and applicants from being misused by the Trump Administration.”
    Senator Rosen has a strong record of supporting DACA recipients and protecting the DACA program. In June, she commemorated the 13th anniversary of DACA with a Senate floor speech condemning the Trump Administration’s ongoing attacks on the program and calling for permanent protections. Senator Rosen also helped introduce legislation requiring ICE and immigration enforcement agents to clearly identify themselves and their authority—further defending immigrant communities from intimidation and abuse. She has also supported actions to protect mixed-status families, keep them together, and make it easier for DREAMers to work and remain in the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: As Trump Administration Continues To Gut Education Department, Warren Exposes Harmful Impact to Students with Disabilities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    July 25, 2025
    According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 60,000 public schools and about 30 million K-12 students were left without a dedicated civil rights investigator due to Trump’s cuts at ED.
    Warren: “It’s disgraceful that Secretary McMahon is firing the people responsible for protecting our students with disabilities.”
    Video of Exchange (YouTube)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), in a forum held by Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), “Robbing Our Students’ Futures: The Indefensible Attacks on Public Education,” highlighted the consequences of President Donald Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon’s cuts to the Department of Education (ED) for students with disabilities and their families.
    “It’s disgraceful that Secretary McMahon is firing the people responsible for protecting our students with disabilities,” said Senator Warren. “This forum is a valuable opportunity to speak out and stand up against these horrible cuts so we can start building a better future for our nation’s children.”
    In the hearing, Senator Warren slammed Secretary McMahon for her broken promise to “make sure that our students with special needs are taken care of.” In March, Secretary McMahon fired half of the staff at ED’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which is responsible for protecting students facing discrimination in school, and closed down 7 out of OCR’s 12 regional offices, including the one in Boston. Nearly half of all OCR complaints involve discrimination against students with disabilities, and following these cuts, OCR has begun dismissing complaints at an unusually high rate.
    Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, testified that due to the cuts at OCR, 60,000 public schools and 30 million K-12 students were left without a dedicated civil rights investigator, with OCR dismissing 30% more cases last year than in the previous year. She warned it would be “improbable, if not impossible” for OCR to sufficiently resolve incoming disability discrimination cases with staff cut in half.
    Senator Warren also highlighted the story of G, a student with an intellectual disability whose mom filed a complaint with OCR after G was allegedly locked in a padded room at her school repeatedly, despite not posing a danger to herself or others. The Trump administration fired the lawyer assigned to investigate G’s case, leaving G without any support. Ms. Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, stressed the importance of making the public aware of the impact of cuts to public education by sharing stories like G’s. She described ED as an “opportunity engine” for providing educational oversight and funding for various education programs, which are crucial for students with disabilities.
    “We are in this fight because we believe that the future of this nation lies with our children. We speak out, we fight back, and we do not pass budgets that leave the door open for more cuts for the education of our children,” concluded Senator Warren.
    Senator Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign in a coordinated effort to fight back against President Trump’s attempts to abolish the Department of Education:
    On July 17, 2025, Senator Warren released a new 23-page report, “Education At Risk: Frontline Impacts of Trump’s War on Students,” highlighting warnings from 11 major national education and civil rights organizations on the impact of the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the Department of Education (ED), slashing support to millions of American students, primary and secondary school teachers, administrators, parents, and student loan borrowers.
    On July 15, 2025, Senators Warren and Sanders, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, urging her to reverse the interest hike on student loan borrowers in the SAVE forbearance.
    On July 14, 2025, Senator Warren joined a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, and Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, demanding that the Department of Education stop blocking nearly $7 billion in funds for K-12 schools, including for afterschool programs.
    On July 3, 2025, Senator Warren led her colleagues in submitting an amicus brief for NAACP v. US, arguing to the United States District Court District of Maryland that President Trump’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education violate separation of powers and lack constitutional authority.
    On June 10, 2025, Senator Warren met with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and delivered over 1,000 letters to McMahon that the senator had received from people in all 50 states who were worried about the Secretary’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    On June 9, 2025, Senator Warren led her colleagues in pushing the Acting Inspector General of the Department of Education to open an investigation into new information obtained by her office, revealing that DOGE may have gained access to two FSA internal systems, in addition to sensitive borrower data.
    On May 20, 2025, Senator Warren and 27 other senators pushed for full funding for the Office of Federal Student Aid.
    On May 14, 2025, Senator Warren led a Senate forum entitled “Stealing the American Dream: How Trump and Republicans Are Raising Education Costs for Families,” highlighting the consequences of Secretary Linda McMahon’s reckless dismantling of the Department of Education and President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” for working- and middle-class students and borrowers.
    On May 13, 2025, Senator Warren agreed to meet with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and promised to bring questions and stories from Americans across the country to highlight how the Trump administration’s attacks on education are hurting American families.
    On May 6, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted the consequences of President Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon’s reckless dismantling of the Department of Education for American families in a Senate forum.
    On April 24, 2025, Senator Warren launched a new investigation into the harms of President Trump’s attacks on the Department of Education, seeking information on the impact of the Trump administration’s actions from the members of twelve leading organizations representing schools, parents, teachers, students, borrowers, and researchers.
    On April 10, 2025, following a request led by Senator Warren, the Department of Education’s Acting Inspector General agreed to open an investigation into the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    On April 2, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mazie Hirono, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Department of Government Efficiency’s proposed plan to replace the Department of Education’s federal student aid call centers with generative artificial intelligence chatbots.
    On April 2, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign to fight back against the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education and highlight the consequences for every student and public school in America.
    On March 27, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a letter to Acting Department of Education Inspector General René Rocque requesting they conduct an investigation of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    On March 20, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders led a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to slash the capacity of Federal Student Aid to handle student aid complaints.
    On February 24, 2025, in a response to Senator Warren, Secretary McMahon gave her first public admission that she “wholeheartedly” agreed with Trump’s plans to abolish the Department of Education.
    On February 11, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim sent Linda McMahon, Secretary-Designate for the U.S. Department of Education, a 12-page letter with 65 questions on McMahon’s policy views in advance of her nomination hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell, Colleagues Call For Investigations Into Deaths of Americans in Gaza

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    07.25.25
    Cantwell, Colleagues Call For Investigations Into Deaths of Americans in Gaza
    Lawmakers seeking accountability for the July 11 death of Saifulla Kamel Musallet, as well as updates into the deaths of 6 other Americans
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) joined 28 of her Democratic colleagues in the Senate in sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi calling for an investigation into the death of Palestinian-American Saifullah Kamel Musallet in the West Bank earlier this month, as well as updates into the investigations of other deaths in Gaza, including 26-year-old Aysenur Ezgi Eygi from Washington state.
    “The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths. These failures have made it more likely that more Americans and other civilians will be killed in the West Bank by Israeli security forces or violent settlers who can act with impunity,” the senators wrote.
    “Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.”
    Saifullah Kamel Musallet, a 20-year-old Palestinian American from Florida, was visiting family near the West Bank town of Sinjil on July 11 when he was beaten to death by extremist Israeli settlers. He is the seventh American killed in the region since Jan. 1, 2022 – a list that also includes University of Washington student Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was shot and killed by Israeli military during a peaceful protest against illegal settlements in September.
    Following Aysenur Ezgi Eygi’s death, Sen. Cantwell sent a solo letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for a full and independent investigation.
    “The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and a pattern of indifference by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to killing of civilians in the West Bank, including Americans,” the senators wrote yesterday. “It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans.”
    The letter was led by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and is cosigned by Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Chris Murphy (D-CN).
    Full text of the letter is HERE and below.
    Dear Secretary Rubio and Attorney General Bondi,
    We write with grave concern regarding the brutal killing of a Palestinian-American, Saifullah Kamel Musallet, near the West Bank town of Sinjil, on July 11, 2025. The U.S. government must conduct a credible and independent investigation into his beating death and hold all perpetrators accountable. Protecting and supporting U.S. citizens abroad is one of the foremost responsibilities of the U.S. government. The Biden Administration failed to secure accountability for the killing of respected Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, or any of the other four American citizens – Omar Assad, Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour, and Aysenur Ezgi Eygi – killed in the West Bank while they were in office.[1] Following the Trump Administration’s sudden revocation of all U.S. sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank, the first five months of 2025 have seen the highest rate of settler attacks in years and the killing of another American. We urge you to pursue a different approach.
    Saifullah Kamal Musallet is the seventh American citizen killed in the West Bank since January 2022 — and the fifth in just the last nineteen months. The killings of these Americans in the West Bank have been met by a lack of accountability from the Netanyahu government and a pattern of indifference by the U.S. government. These failures have contributed to an unacceptable culture of impunity when it comes to killing of civilians in the West Bank, including Americans.
    Saifullah Kamel Musallet, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen from Florida, was visiting family in the West Bank when he was beaten to death by extremist Israeli settlers during a settler attack on the town of Sinjil. Reports indicate that ambulances could not reach the injured for more than two hours because settlers were blocking the area and the Israeli military refused to allow ambulances to pass.[2] In April of this year, a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey, Amer Mohammad Saada Rabee, was also killed in the West Bank. Amer was reportedly shot at the entrance to Turmus Ayya and the Israeli army pronounced him dead after detaining him. Reports suggest that Amer was shot a total of 11 times and two other Americans were also shot in the incident.[3]
    Last year, three other U.S. citizens were killed in the West Bank, including two teenagers. Tawfic Abdel Jabbar and Mohammad Ahmed Mohammad Khdour were both 17-year-old U.S. citizens visiting their families in the West Bank when they were shot and killed in separate incidents. In both cases they were shot in the head while they were traveling in vehicles.[4] The third U.S. citizen gunned down in the West Bank last year was Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American citizen raised in Seattle who was shot in the head by an Israeli soldier from a distance of 200 meters.[5]
    The Netanyahu government has failed to hold anyone accountable for any of these seven killings of Americans and the United States government has failed in its responsibility to protect American citizens overseas and demand justice for their deaths. These failures have made it more likely that more Americans and other civilians will be killed in the West Bank by Israeli security forces or violent settlers who can act with impunity.
    It is long past time for the U.S. government to demand accountability in these killings of Americans. To that end, we urge you to immediately launch an independent investigation into the brutal killing of Saifullah Kamel Musallet, including the circumstances that blocked ambulances from reaching him. We also ask that you provide us with an update on the status of any investigations into the killings of the six other Americans who have been killed since January 2022, and provide us with a briefing on actions you are taking to ensure accountability for their deaths and to prevent future killings of Americans in the West Bank.
    We respectfully ask for a response within two weeks.

    [1] Lucas, Ryan. “DOJ Silent as Families of Americans Killed in West Bank, Gaza Demand It Investigate.” NPR, 10 Oct. 2024, www.npr.org/2024/10/10/nx-s1-5106059/west-bank-gaza-israel-justice-department/.
    [2] Levine, Heidi, et al. “Palestinian American from Florida Killed in the West Bank, Family Says.” The Washington Post, 12 July 2025, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/07/11/palestinian-american-west-bank-death-tampa/.
    [3]Ott, Haley. “American Teen Fatally Shot in Israeli-Occupied West Bank as Netanyahu Visits Trump.” Cbsnews.com, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025, www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-west-bank-palestinian-american-amir-mohammed-rabee-killed/.
    [4] Yahya Abou-Ghazala, and Alex Marquardt. “Families of Killed Palestinian-Americans Demand Answers of US, Israel.” CNN, 23 Feb. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/02/23/world/palestinian-americans-demand-answers-invs.
    [5] Hubbard, Ben, and Gulsin Harman. “At Funeral in Turkey, Family Mourns American Activist Aysenur Eygi.” The New York Times, 14 Sept. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/09/14/world/middleeast/turkey-us-activist-killed-israel-west-bank.html.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Laurel Lee and Congressman Pfluger Introduce Legislation to Cut LNG Bunkering Red Tape

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) and Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced the Cutting LNG Bunkering Red Tape Act, a bill that codifies a Trump-era Department of Energy (DOE) order clarifying that ship-to-ship transfers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) used as marine fuel—commonly known as LNG bunkering—are not considered exports under Section 3 of the Natural Gas Act unless conducted in foreign waters. The bill is referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

    “The Biden Administration’s harmful energy policies have created unnecessary regulatory burdens that stall innovation and weaken American energy leadership,”said Rep. Lee. “Liquefied natural gas is a more efficient, cleaner, and cost-effective energy source. My bill ensures that LNG bunkering is not hindered by red tape, so that ports in Florida and across the nation can continue to expand, drive job creation, and compete globally.”

    “LNG exports unequivocally benefit our economy, domestic prices, national security, and partners and allies around the world that want our product. Unfortunately, the Biden Administration spent four years imposing one regulation after another on these exports, stifling the energy industry,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This legislation permanently reverses one of these misguided policies to ensure American LNG can compete on the global stage by removing regulatory uncertainty and streamlining the use of it as a cleaner, more efficient fuel source for maritime transportation. I am proud to lead this legislation with my good friend from Florida, Representative Laurel Lee.”

     Background: 

    During the Biden Administration, DOE issued an order treating certain domestic LNG ship-to-ship transfers as exports, subjecting them to extensive federal regulation and public interest review. In contrast, President Trump reversed this position, rightly determining that LNG bunkering within U.S. waters should not be treated as an export. Rep. Lee’s legislation would cement this clarification in federal law.

    Florida is a major hub for marine transportation, including cruise ships and other vessels, increasingly turning to LNG as a clean and modern fuel source. JAX LNG, based in Jacksonville, has been a national leader in LNG bunkering, but has faced unnecessary regulatory hurdles due to shifting federal interpretations

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Trump Promised to End Child Sexual Mutilation — and He Delivered

    Source: US Whitehouse

    During his campaign, President Donald J. Trump repeatedly pledged to end the irreversible chemical and surgical mutilation of our children: “We are not going to allow child sexual mutilation.”

    For years, politicians have promised to end the barbaric, pseudoscientific practice — but President Trump is the only one who has actually delivered.

    This week, Yale New Haven Health and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center announced they are ending their so-called “gender-affirming care services.” They join a growing list of health systems across the country following President Trump’s executive action.

    • Phoenix Children’s Hospital stopped providing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to minors.
    • Stanford Medicine ended sex-change surgeries for minors.
    • Children’s Hospital Los Angeles closed its “Center for Transyouth Health and Development and Gender-Affirming Care.”
    • Denver Health suspended sex change surgeries for patients under 19.
    • UCHealth ended so-called “gender-affirming services” for patients under 19.
    • Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago stopped sex-change surgeries for patients under 19.
    • UChicago suspended so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors.
    • Northwestern Memorial Hospital stopped sex-change surgeries for minors.
    • Rush Medical Center halted gender-affirming care for new patients under 18.
    • In New York City, Mount Sinai and New York-Presbyterian both curbed so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors.
    • In Pennsylvania, Penn State Health, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the University of Pennsylvania Health System all stopped so-called “gender-affirming care” for patients under 19.
    • The Hospital of Richmond at VCU Health halted so-called “gender-affirming care” for new patients under 19.
    • Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters suspended hormone therapy and puberty blockers for gender-affirming care in children under 19.
    • Seattle Children’s Hospital stopped providing so-called “gender-affirming surgery” to patients under 19.
    • In Washington, D.C., Children’s National Hospital “paused” prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapies for minors, while Northwest Washington Hospital did the same.
    • Kaiser Permanente paused sex-change surgeries for patients under 19 across all its hospitals and surgical centers.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Joins Whitehouse, Heinrich, Colleagues to Reintroduce Bill to Make Homeownership More Accessible for First-Time Buyers  

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    Bicameral First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act would help make homeownership a reality for young Americans amidst skyrocketing housing costs 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, joined U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and 10 Democratic Senators in reintroducing the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act, legislation that aims to support middle-class Americans purchasing their first home. The Senators’ legislation would establish a refundable tax credit worth up to 10% of a home’s purchase price—up to a maximum of $15,000—for first-time homebuyers.  
    “Everyone should have a fair chance to experience the joy of buying their first home–it’s a pillar of the American Dream. But skyrocketing housing prices have pushed that dream out of reach for folks in red and blue states alike,” said Senator Welch. “Our legislation will provide a financial boost to first-time homeowners to give more hardworking Americans a fair shot at buying their first home.”  
    “Owning a home is at the core of the American dream, but too many young families have been priced out of homeownership in recent years because of the housing supply crunch. And Trump’s chaotic tariff regime has increased homebuilding costs, forcing developers to pause construction on much-needed new units,” said Senator Whitehouse. “Our tax credit for first-time homebuyers would help make the American dream a reality for more of the young Americans left behind in Trump’s billionaire-first economy.” 
    “Buying your first home is more than just owning property: It’s a source of pride, stability, and hope for the future. Unfortunately, buying a home is out of reach for many families right now. We’re changing that with my First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act,” said Senator Heinrich. “I’m proud to reintroduce this bill to ease the financial burden on aspiring homeowners and give every working family an equal opportunity to realize the American dream of owning a home.” 
    In 2022, the median sale price for a home in the U.S. was 5.6 times higher than the median income, a higher ratio than during the years immediately before the 2007 mortgage crisis, and the highest disparity on record. An NBC News analysis earlier this month found that the cost of building a single-family home could soon rise by more than $4,000 thanks to President Trump’s tariff agenda, which is expected to increase the costs of many of the materials used to build houses. 
    In Vermont, which faces a housing shortage and has the fourth-highest rate of homelessness in the country, an estimated 7,000 new homes will need to be built each year for the next 25 years to help alleviate the crisis. Nationwide, the shortage of affordable housing opportunities costs the American economy an estimated $2 trillion each year. High housing costs reduce disposable income and economic mobility, stifling economic opportunities for those who can no longer afford housing in their communities.  
    Housing unaffordability is especially harmful to younger Americans, who are struggling to reach the same milestones their parents did at their age. In 2024, the typical age of a first-time homebuyer reached a record high of 38, up from 29 in 1981. And first-time homebuyers, as a percentage of all homebuyers nationwide, fell from 38% to 24% over that same period, the lowest percentage ever recorded. 
    Under the First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act, taxpayers would have the option of receiving the credit at the time of purchase by working with their mortgage issuer. Alternatively, taxpayers could elect to treat the purchase of their home as occurring in the prior taxable year to receive the credit before tax season if they are unable to qualify for the credit at point of sale. 
    The credit phases out for those making above 150% of area median income and for those buying a house with a purchase price above 110% of the area median purchase price. Additionally, the credit is limited to home purchases financed through federally backed mortgages. 
    The First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.). U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) and Mike Thompson (D-CA-04) led the reintroduction of the legislation in the House of Representatives.  
    The legislation is endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), Cooperative Credit Union Association, Mortgage Bankers Association, Rhode Island Executive Office of Housing, Rhode Island Association of REALTORS, RIHousing, Housing Network of Rhode Island, HousingWorksRI, Rhode Island Builders Association, Rhode Island Mortgage Bankers Association, Santa Clara County REALTORS, Santa Cruz County REALTORS, and Monterey County REALTORS. 
    Read and download the full text of the bill. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida Democrats Send Letter Pushing State to Join Lawsuit on Frozen Education Funding

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Reprepsentative Kathy Castor (FL14)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Florida House Democrats sent a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier urging them to join the 25 states that have filed the lawsuit State of California v. McMahon, challenging the Trump Administration and the Department of Education’s illegal freeze of more than $5.5 billion in Congressionally-approved education funding. On June 30, the Department of Education notified states that it was holding over $6 billion in grants that were due to be disbursed on July 1. The Department claims to be holding the funds for a “review” geared toward “ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President’s priorities.” While the Department recently released a small portion of the frozen funds, it is still withholding over $5.5 billion nationally, including $325 million from Florida schools for teacher training, academic support for students, professional development programs, and more. 

    “For Florida, this freeze is not theoretical—it’s real money being held hostage, with tangible harm to our school districts, working families, and children,” the Members wrote. “Programs are being delayed or dismantled. School districts have had to freeze hiring and may soon have to start laying off staff. Local leaders are left in limbo. While other states are taking action, Florida is conspicuously absent.”

    Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars at stake for Florida, Governor DeSantis and Attorney General Uthmeier have yet to join the lawsuit.

    “Florida’s children should not pay the price for adult politics,” the Members continued. “The Trump Administration’s action is a clear violation of the Impoundment Control Act, which prohibits the executive branch from withholding Congressionally-appropriated funds. It also threatens the Constitutional balance of powers and undermines public trust.”

    “We implore you to put Florida’s interests first by joining State of California v. McMahon and demanding the release of the federal education dollars our communities were promised.”

    For the full text of the letter, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Recent Speaking Engagements

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    Over the past several months, I have spoken with a variety of audiences about the recent and ongoing work of the Congressional Budget Office.

    The conversations have allowed me to share insights about CBO’s role in the legislative process—including the reconciliation process—while reiterating the agency’s commitment to providing objective, nonpartisan, and transparent analysis.

    From March through July 2025, I participated in the following events:

    • March 3: Discussed the U.S. macroeconomic and fiscal outlook during the 41st Annual Economic Policy Conference of the National Association for Business Economics.
    • March 5: Spoke at the Milken Institute’s 2025 Finance Forum about the state of the U.S. budget and economy.
    • March 27: Took part in a “fireside chat” at the ERISA Industry Committee’s (ERIC’s) Spring Policy Conference, where I discussed CBO’s role and ongoing work.
    • April 8: Met virtually with a class at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School to talk about the outlook for the U.S. budget.
    • April 16: Joined the Hoover Institution’s Jon Hartley for a podcast in which we discussed, among other things, CBO’s role and the value that the agency places on accuracy and transparency.
    • April 22: Participated in a discussion about the fiscal impact of the Trump Administration’s policies during a J.P. Morgan investor seminar.
    • May 5: Engaged in a panel discussion at the Milken Institute’s 2025 Global Conference in Los Angeles about the federal budget and national debt.
    • June 11: Delivered remarks and answered questions during the Committee for Economic Development’s Biannual Trustee Policy Summit.
    • July 15: Participated in a discussion about the fiscal implications of the 2025 reconciliation act (Public Law 119-21) during a J.P. Morgan investor roundtable.
    • July 15: Delivered remarks and participated in a Q&A session at the 22nd Annual Economic Measurement Seminar of the National Association for Business Economics.

    I have also discussed CBO’s role in the legislative process more generally and emphasized our commitment to transparency and analytical rigor in recent interviews. (Those interviews appeared in the Wall Street Journal, on Bloomberg’s Big Take podcast, and on Bloomberg TV’s Wall Street Week.) As part of those discussions, I outlined the distinctions between CBO and the Joint Committee on Taxation, explaining how the two agencies differ and how we often work collaboratively to support the Congress.

    I look forward to engaging with other audiences and topics in the months ahead.

    Phillip L. Swagel is CBO’s Director.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Maryland Delegation Members’ Statement on Future of BARC

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Glenn Ivey – Maryland (4th District)

    WASHINGTON – Congressman Glenn Ivey joined U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, and U.S. Representatives Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin, Sarah Elfreth, Johnny Olszewski and April McClain Delaney (all D-Md.), to release the following statement on the future of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center: 

    “The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) is the foundation of our country’s excellence in agricultural research, with its scientists working for more than 100 years on the front lines of protecting public health and supporting farmers and farming across the country. Shuttering BARC and uprooting its workforce will undercut its critical mission, endanger public safety, and unnecessarily waste taxpayer dollars. Clearly, the Trump Administration has not thought through the costs or consequences of this misguided decision. Congress and the courts must act swiftly to block this illegal and harmful reorganization and ensure BARC remains intact. The law demands it, and our farmers depend on it.”

                                                                                                       ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Statement on the Signing of the Rescissions Package

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement:

    “Trump and Senate Republicans have betrayed the American people by ramming through another damaging bill that harms our national security, undermines our ability to keep Americans safe, slashes vital programs to support working people – all so they can fund their tax cuts for the wealthiest few. These are reckless cuts.

    “Republicans and Democrats had come together to allocate these tax dollars for programs that are in the country’s best interest, and it’s a disgrace that Republicans have once again ceded their responsibilities in order to rubber stamp Donald Trump’s unpopular agenda. There are plenty of ways to cut down on wasteful spending, but what this Administration is doing is fiscal malpractice, not fiscal responsibility.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Booker Revamps Senate Democrats’ Digital Strategy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) sat down with Semafor’s Burgess Everett to discuss leading the Democratic Strategic Communications Committee and his mission to get Senate Democrats out of their cable news comfort zone and into the digital age, one viral video at a time.

    See for yourself:

    Semafor

    How Cory Booker convinced his party to get extremely online

    By Burgess Everett

    …

    When Chris Coons stepped into his party’s meeting room after listening to President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress in March, Cory Booker had a surprise waiting: a room of social media influencers ready to interview him.

    “I’m looking at him. And he goes, ‘I know you’ve never met these people. I know you’ve never heard of what they’re on,’” Coons recalled to Semafor.

    Booker listed the follower counts of social media personalities in the room, Coons added, and then told him: “Just go with it.”

    The Delaware senator took Booker’s advice — as have many of his Democratic colleagues this year. Booker is on an active mission to tone the party’s weak media muscles, an atrophy that many now believe cost Democrats in 2024.

    It’s part of Booker’s new role in the caucus: modernizing a party that he believes relies too much on traditional print and TV outlets to get its message out.

    …

    “Our caucus was not understanding that we put so much energy into going on MSNBC, but more people are on these devices,” Booker said in an interview this week about his social media work.

    “We’ve got to start shifting our strategy towards having a digital and media strategy that could break through, that could capture attention.”

    …

    According to data Booker presented during a Senate Democratic caucus meeting this month, his approach is working to help Democrats catch up on multiple platforms. He says he’s quadrupled online engagement in the caucus, from roughly 400,000 engagements a day to 2 million. Senate Democrats have added 15 million new followers across platforms, outpacing Republicans significantly.

    …

    You can see the Booker-inflected changes if you bop around the party’s social media accounts: more direct-to-camera riffs, fewer press releases and canned quotes, and more shareable content, like Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., explaining what a rescission is.

    Will it all have an impact on the 2026 election? Who knows. But it is notable that Democrats, for perhaps the first time, have someone in their ranks thinking deeply about this.

    …

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin, Evers, Moore, and Pocan Release Joint Statement on SNAP Cuts and UW Layoffs from Republican Budget Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Governor Tony Evers, and Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI-04) and Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) released the following statement after the University of Wisconsin (UW) announced they were forced to lay off 91 staff members who implement a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) initiative because of Congressional Republicans’ budget bill:

    “Sadly, we are watching vital resources that Wisconsin families rely on to stay healthy and help put food on the table being stripped away – all so Republicans in Congress and President Trump could give out tax breaks for the wealthy. FoodWIse, and the dedicated staff behind it, have proven to be a good investment that helps tens of thousands of Wisconsinites stay well fed and live a healthy life. But today’s news means their work will be practically wiped out, and families will be left out to dry. While we hope Wisconsin’s Congressional Republicans who voted for this are prepared to answer to impacted families, we will continue to fight every way we can to make sure Wisconsinites have the food and tools they need to stay healthy.”

    UW today announced that due to the elimination of SNAP-Ed funding in Republicans’ budget bill, UW-Madison’s Division of Extension laid off 91 employees who run FoodWIse, which implements important nutrition education programming across Wisconsin. FoodWIse supports direct education for over 35,000 participants annually, as well as broader community initiatives that reach more than 98,000 people across the state. Other affected Wisconsin grantees include: FoodRight, Inc., Hunger Task Force, Inc., Ho-Chunk Nation Health Center – ITO, Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC) – ITO, and Wisconsin Fit Families.

    MIL OSI USA News –