NewzIntel.com

Category: Trump

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Representatives Barragán and Garcia hold Press Conference in Response to Trump’s Tariffs and Comments on Port Traffic Slowdown

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 9, 2025

    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

    Representatives Barragán and Garcia hold Press Conference in Response to Trump’s Tariffs and Comments on Port Traffic Slowdown

    Long Beach, CA — Today, Representatives Nanette Barragán (CA-44) and Robert Garcia (CA-42), along with Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, held a press conference on the harmful effects of President Trump’s tariffs on the San Pedro Bay Port Complex, local workforce, and working-class communities. 

    The Congress Members and Mayor Richardson were responding to Donald Trump’s comment yesterday that “it’s a good thing” that ports across the United States are experiencing a slowdown in traffic. Port of Long Beach Chief Operating Officer Dr. Noel Hacegaba also participated in the press conference to speak on how the tariffs have caused a drastic decline in container traffic to the Port, setting off a chain reaction of supply shortages, price spikes, and job cuts for longshoremen, truck drivers, and warehouse employees. 

    “It is outrageous to claim that the traffic slowdown at our ports is a ‘good thing’ when we have already seen how it’s hurting our middle and working class families,” said Rep. Barragán. “When traffic slows down, people lose their jobs and every family has to pay more at the checkout line — the American people are paying more for everyday essentials because of Trump and House Republicans’ harmful policies. House Democrats will continue to shine a light on the true costs and the impact on our hardworking families.”  

    For photos of the event, click here.

    For videos of the event, click here. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PRESS RELEASE: Rep. Barragán Sounds Alarm in Marathon Energy and Commerce Committee Markup Over Republican Plans to Take Health Care Away from Millions of Americans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    May 17, 2025

    Contact: Jin.Choi@mail.house.gov

    Rep. Barragán Sounds Alarm in Marathon Energy and Commerce Committee Markup Over Republican Plans to Take Health Care Away from Millions of Americans 

    Washington, D.C. – After a 26-hour markup this week, House Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee advanced their piece of Donald Trump’s budget reconciliation plan — with no Democratic votes. The bill slashes $715 billion from Medicaid and other critical health care programs — combined with the provisions passed by the Ways & Means Committee this week and a proposed regulation from the Trump Administration, 13.7 million Americans now stand to lose their health care.  

    “This bill is nothing short of an assault on the health care of working families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities,” said Rep. Barragán. “The Republican reconciliation bill, along with the actions of the Trump Administration and Republicans’ failure to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies, will cause almost 14 million people to lose their health care. Republicans forced us to debate this bill in the dead of night, when they knew most Americans would not see their attempt to take health care away from millions of people. House Democrats will continue to fight this bill and make sure all Americans know that these painful cuts to essential services and programs are so that Republicans can give even larger tax breaks to their billionaire donors.”

    Throughout the marathon markup, Rep. Barragán and Democratic Committee Members introduced amendments to reverse, blunt, or improve upon the harms of the bill, which Republicans, as a whole, rejected. This bill will now be combined with the Republican reconciliation bills that have passed out of other House committees for full House consideration.

    The approved bill text includes harmful provisions that will: 

    • Make it harder for people to enroll and keep their health coverage:
      • Burdensome new paperwork for Medicaid enrollees, designed to reduce access — not improve care.
      • Barriers to enrolling and renewing coverage for people on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
      • Shortened enrollment period for Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage, reducing time to sign up.
    • Make it more expensive to access care:
      • New copays for Medicaid recipients.
      • New fees and documentation requirements for people seeking ACA subsidies.
      • Barriers to programs that help low-income seniors on both Medicare and Medicaid afford health care.
    • Decrease access to high-quality, affordable care for hospitals, community health centers, nursing homes, and at-home services:
      • Delays implementation of nursing home minimum staffing standards, putting elderly residents at risk.
      • Restricts states’ use of provider taxes, which support payments to health care providers and expansion of covered services.  
      • Cuts federal Medicaid support for states that use their own funds to cover undocumented immigrants.

    Beyond health care, the bill also includes sweeping attacks on environmental protections, clean energy investments, and telecommunications infrastructure:

    • Guts clean energy and environmental investments — including pollution reduction programs in schools and low-income communities.
    • Lets fossil fuel companies pay to bypass safeguards, including a $1 million fee to fast-track LNG exports and $10 million to expedite pipeline permitting.
    • Raises $88 billion through a spectrum auction and diverts those funds to tax cuts for billionaires, rather than investments in internet affordability and NextGen 911.

    The legislation now moves to the House floor, where it will be considered as part of the broader Republican budget reconciliation package.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Project Homecoming Charter Flight Brings Self-Deporters to Honduras, Colombia

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Illegal Aliens, Using the CBP Home App, Chose to Return Home the Right Way 

    WASHINGTON – Today, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted avoluntary charter flight from Houston, TX, to Honduras and Colombia, bringing 64 participants who opted to self-deport back to their home countries. This charter flight is one of the first actions the Department has taken to fulfill President Trump’s recent proclamation to create Project Homecoming.  

    This was a voluntary charter flight, not an ICE enforcement operation. All participants were offered the same benefits as any illegal alien who self-deports using the CBP Home App. Theyreceived travel assistance, a $1,000 stipend, and preserved the possibility they could one day return to the United States legally.   

    In Honduras, 38participants were warmly welcomed by their home government and family members. They also benefitedfrom the Honduran government’s “Hermano, Hermana, Vuelve a Casa” program, which includes an additional $100 bonus for people over 18, food vouchers, and assistance in finding employment. 

    In Colombia, 26 participants were welcomed back by their families and representatives of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Migration Colombia. The Colombian government provided social services from the Family Welfare Institute (ICBF), and the Department of Social Prosperity.

    “Today, DHS conducted its first Project Homecoming charter flight of 64 individuals who voluntarily chose to self-deport to their home counties of Honduras and Colombia,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “If you are here illegally, use the CBP Home App to take control of your departure and receive financial support to return home. If you don’t, you will be subjected to fines, arrest, deportation and will never be allowed to return. If you are in this country illegally, self-deport NOW and preserve your opportunity to potentially return the legal, right way.” 

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mfume, Van Hollen, Members of Maryland Congressional Delegation Introduce Bill to Award Henrietta Lacks the Congressional Gold Medal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Kweisi Mfume (D-MD-07) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) are introducing the Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act, in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. This legislation would posthumously award a Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks in recognition of her immortal “HeLa cells” which have made invaluable contributions to global health, scientific research, our quality of life, and patients’ rights. Since the American Revolution, Congress has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.

    The bill receives support from Members of the Maryland Congressional Delegation, including Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD-05), Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), Glenn Ivey (D-MD-04), April McClain Delaney (D-MD-06), Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), and Johnny Olszewski (D-MD-02). These lawmakers makeup 27 Members of the U.S. House who have signed on as original cosponsors. The legislation is also endorsed by HELA100: Henrietta Lacks Initiative and the Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group (HLLG).

    “I am honored to introduce this legislation in the U.S. House to provide both the spirit of Mrs. Lacks and her descendants the gratitude and recognition this lineage deserves. Her ‘HeLa cells’ have altered the future of medical science, and the world continues to benefit from Mrs. Lacks’ contributions and sacrifice,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume. “During a time in our country where the Trump administration shamefully seeks to erase Black history from the American story, the legacies of Black historymakers like Mrs. Lacks must be uplifted, and we must continue to deliver our message back to President Trump: you erase it, we will replace it,” he concluded.

    “Without knowing it at the time of her cancer treatment, Henrietta Lacks would go on to change the course of modern medicine. Her cells unlocked a breakthrough in medical research, leading to treatments and cures that are bettering people’s lives to this day. But Mrs. Lacks never consented to the use of her cells – nor did she receive rightful credit for the monumental contributions she made. That’s why it’s all the more important that we recognize her with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest expression of appreciation,” said Senator Chris Van Hollen.

    “The Lacks Family is grateful to our friends Congressman Kweisi Mfume and Senator Chris Van Hollen for their leadership and continued commitment toward awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to my grandmother, Henrietta Lacks,” said Alfred Lacks Carter, Jr., grandson of Henrietta Lacks. “This Mother’s Day has even more meaning. I applaud the introduction of this Act in the spirit of my mother, Deborah Lacks, who worked tirelessly to ensure that her mother, Henrietta Lacks, was celebrated as the Mother of Modern Medicine,” he concluded.

    “Awarding Henrietta Lacks a Congressional Gold Medal as the world celebrates her 105th birthday this year is truly a fitting honor. Our Hennie’s contributions to science, medicine, and research have saved lives and created cures – here in the U.S. and worldwide. As my grandfather, Lawrence Lacks, Sr., Henrietta Lacks’ eldest son, often said, ‘We are proud of all the good that she has done for the world.’ As the next generation, we are reclaiming her story to make certain the world recognizes her impact,” said Veronica Robinson, Senior Advisor, HELA100: Henrietta Lacks Initiative, great granddaughter of Henrietta Lacks.

    “On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group (HLLG), it is our pleasure to write this letter of support for your bill that would award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to Henrietta Lacks in recognition of her immortal cells that have had a revolutionary effect on modern medicine and other scientific innovations,” wrote Dr. Adele Newson-Horst, Chair, HLLG Board of Directors and Servant Courtney Speed, Founder and President, HLLG.  

    In 1951, it was discovered that Mrs. Henrietta Lacks, of Baltimore, had a large, malignant tumor on her cervix. However, unbeknownst to Mrs. Lacks or her family, medical researchers took samples of her tumor during her treatment without her consent. Henrietta Lacks’ cells, now known as ‘‘HeLa cells,” doubled every 20 to 24 hours whereas other human cells died in the same time period.

    Lacks’ prolific cells continue to replicate to this day and contribute to remarkable advances in medicine resulting in several Nobel Prize award-winning discoveries and groundbreaking advancements. These scientific discoveries include the development of the polio vaccine and drugs used to treat cancer, HIV/AIDS, hemophilia, leukemia, and Parkinson’s disease. Her cells were even sent into space to survey long-term effects on living cells and tissues.

    The bill text for the Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act is available by clicking here.

    The Life of Henrietta Lacks

    • Henrietta Lacks was born in Roanoke, Virginia in 1920 and later moved to Baltimore, Maryland with her husband and family of 5 children.
       
    • At the age of 31, she sought treatment from The Johns Hopkins Hospital for prolonged bleeding.
       
    • At the time, the hospital was one of a few that would treat African Americans. Shortly after her admission to the hospital, she was diagnosed with an aggressive cervical cancer that would lead to her untimely death only 8 months later.
       
    • This tragedy left Henrietta Lacks’ husband and 5 children to go on without her.
       
    • Despite Mrs. Lacks’ passing, her life continued under unique circumstances. Researchers took cells from Henrietta Lacks without her consent or the consent of her relatives and discovered that they were unlike any other known cells before.
       
    • Mrs. Lacks’ cells, now referred to as, “HeLa cells,” were remarkably durable and prolific, which allowed them to be used extensively in scientific research.
       
    • The cells had the unparalleled capacity to reproduce and were deemed immortal; meaning, where other human cells would die, “HeLa cells” doubled every 20 to 24 hours.
       
    • Henrietta Lacks’ immortal cells have been used by researchers, resulting in several Nobel Prize award-winning discoveries and groundbreaking advancements.
       
    • These scientific discoveries include the development of the polio vaccine and drugs used to treat cancer, HIV/AIDS, hemophilia, leukemia, and Parkinson’s disease. Her cells were even sent into space to survey long-term effects on living cells and tissues.
       
    • Henrietta Lacks’ story garnered the attention of the nation and was chronicled in a Primetime Emmy Award-nominated HBO film entitled, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.”   
       
    • In October of 2024, Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine broke ground on the Henrietta Lacks Building.
       
      • The new 34,000-square-foot building will be located on the East Baltimore campus and support multiple programs of the Berman Institute, Johns Hopkins University and the School of Medicine, and will house flexible program and classroom space for educational, research, and community use purposes.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden Sounds Alarm on Harmful Impacts of SAVE Act, Trump’s Anti-Voter Executive Order, in Native Communities

    US Senate News:

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

    May 19, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has written the Trump administration about the challenges Native communities will face under Trump’s “election integrity” executive order and the SAVE Act, including requirements documenting proof of citizenship and restricting mail-in voting.

    The SAVE Act passed by the Republican-controlled House and Trump’s executive order would require Native Americans to use a government issued state ID to register to vote instead of their Tribal IDs which are currently accepted in nearly every state and have been for decades. The SAVE Act also has an in-person requirement for voter-registration that would force Tribal voters in rural areas to travel significant distances to prove their citizenship and register to vote. 

    “Enactment of new voter registration policies under the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would lead to mass disenfranchisement of eligible Native voters and further depress the Native vote,” Wyden and colleagues wrote Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Tribal IDs generally lack place of birth information required by the legislation, and the vast majority of these IDs lack the specific U.S. citizenship documentation required by the Executive Order. And the SAVE Act’s in-person requirement would exacerbate existing barriers, such as requiring IDs that list residential mailing addresses, by forcing many Native voters to travel great distances, including costly flights or multi-hour drives, to reach their local elections office or polling place.”

    Wyden and his colleagues  also highlighted that the vote-by-mail restrictions would disproportionately hurt Native Americans who rely on mail-in voting because of their lack of transportation and rural locations. Trump’s executive order penalizes states that accept absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day, harming Native voters in Oregon, especially as the State processes ballots for days as long as they were postmarked by Election day. 

    “As Secretary of the Interior, you have a special moral and legal responsibility to uphold our nation’s trust and treaty obligations,” continued the senators. “If implemented, the sweeping federal mandates included in the Executive Order and the SAVE Act would disenfranchise eligible Native voters who are following state laws. We encourage your active engagement with the White House and the Department of Justice to ensure that Native communities are able to exercise the franchise fully and have their voices heard at the ballot box.”

    In addition to Wyden, the letter was also led by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawai’i, and signed by U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

    Text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Statement of Sen. Warner on the GENIUS Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Commonwealth of Virginia Mark R Warner

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) released the following statement ahead of a Senate procedural vote on a revised version of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act:

    “The stablecoin market has reached nearly $250 billion and the U.S. can’t afford to keep standing on the sidelines. We need clear rules of the road to protect consumers, defend national security, and support responsible innovation. The GENIUS Act is a meaningful step forward. It sets high standards for issuers, limits big tech overreach, and creates a safer, more transparent framework for digital assets. It’s not perfect, but it’s far better than the status quo.

    “Many senators, myself included, have very real concerns about the Trump family’s use of crypto technologies to evade oversight, hide shady financial dealings, and personally profit at the expense of everyday Americans. We have a duty to shine a light on these abuses and stop Donald Trump from exploiting emerging technologies to enrich himself, dodge accountability, and weaken the safeguards that protect American consumers and the rule of law.

    “But we cannot allow that corruption to blind us to the broader reality: blockchain technology is here to stay. If American lawmakers don’t shape it, others will – and not in ways that serve our interests or democratic values. Innovation in this space is happening, with or without us. We have a responsibility to ensure it happens safely, transparently, and in a way that advances U.S. economic and national security interests. The GENIUS Act will help get us started.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived in Washington DC for his working visit.

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)

    President Cyril Ramaphosa has this afternoon, Monday 19 May 2025 arrived in Washington DC for his working visit.

    The purpose of the visit is to reset and revitalise bilateral relations between South Africa and the United States (US). In this regard, the visit will focus specifically on reframing bilateral, economic and commercial relations.

    On Wednesday, 21 May 2025, President Ramaphosa will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House.

    President Ramaphosa will be accompanied by the following Ministers: Mr Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Ntshavheni, Minister in the Presidency, Mr Tau, Minister of Trade, Industry Competition, Mr Steenhuisen, Minister of Agriculture and Mr Jonas, Special Envoy to the United States of America.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PImRrGyQb8M

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Baldwin Challenges Trump to Close Tax Loophole for Wall Street

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) led a group of their colleagues in challenging President Donald Trump to end a tax loophole, the carried interest loophole, that benefits wealthy money managers on Wall Street. Senator Baldwin leads legislation to close this loophole and, in February, she pushed for a vote on her amendment to end the tax break during the Senate’s budget resolution debate. While he failed to enact it in his first term, President Trump has been supportive of closing this loophole and has advocated for closing it as recently as this year.

    “During your first campaign, you claimed that the carried interest loophole was ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unfair to American workers’ and that the individuals reaping the benefits from the loophole were ‘getting away with murder.’ We agree,” wrote Baldwin and the lawmakers in a letter to President Trump. “We write to ask that you follow through on your promise to eliminate the carried interest loophole and demand that Congressional Republicans eliminate it in any tax bill they send to your desk.”

    When private equity managers oversee an investment fund, they receive a 20% share of the profits earned from the funds’ investments, called “carried interest.” This interest is not subject to the ordinary income tax rate of 37%, and is instead taxed at the 20% capital gains rate as long as the investments are held for at least three years. As a result, private equity fund managers who routinely make hundreds of millions of dollars are subject to a tax rate lower than that of an average blue-collar worker.

    “Despite the extraordinary profits that private equity funds are raking in each year, the carried interest loophole allows private equity managers to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, often paying tax rates that are lower than middle-class workers,” continued Baldwin and the lawmakers.

    The massive loophole costs the federal government tens of billions of dollars in tax revenue, and the private equity industry regularly donates significant sums to politicians sympathetic to their cause in order to make sure the loophole remains open for their profit. The industry has donated almost $600 million to political campaigns over the last decade to maintain a loophole worth upwards of $63 billion over the next 10 years.

    In addition to Senators Baldwin and Warren, this letter is co-signed by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

    The full letter is available here and below.

    Dear Mr. President:

    We write to ask that you follow through on your promise to eliminate the carried interest loophole and demand that Congressional Republicans eliminate it in any tax bill they send to your desk. 

    During your first campaign, you claimed that the carried interest loophole was “ridiculous” and “unfair to American workers” and that the individuals reaping the benefits from the loophole were “getting away with murder.” We agree. Despite the extraordinary profits that private equity funds are raking in each year, the carried interest loophole allows private equity managers to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, often paying tax rates that are lower than middle-class workers.

    When private equity managers oversee an investment fund, they receive a 20% share of the profits earned from the funds’ investments. This portion of future profits is known as “carried interest.” Although carried interest is essentially salary for private equity managers, it is not subject to the ordinary income tax rate of 37% and instead is taxed at the 20% capital gains rate as long as the investments are held for at least three years. The result? Private equity fund managers who routinely make hundreds of millions of dollars are subject to a tax rate lower than that of an average blue-collar worker making $85,000 a year.

    Though this massive loophole costs the federal government billions of dollars in revenue, efforts to constrain it have consistently fallen short. In a desperate attempt to retain Wall Street’s favorite loophole, the private equity industry doles out eye-popping amounts of campaign cash to curry favor with politicians sympathetic to their cause. And it works. In fact, economists have credited the hedge-fund-led lobbying blitz to the survival of the loophole. Overall, the industry doled out almost $600 million to political campaigns over the last decade, a cheap price tag for a loophole worth upwards of $63 billion over the next ten years.

    It is clear that the private equity industry has fought hard to retain these extraordinary tax giveaways. What is less clear is whether you will allow your party to deviate from your commitments, bow to industry demands, and fail to close the loophole for a second time. You were an avid supporter of closing the carried interest loophole throughout your first campaign and during the first few months of your first administration.  Your chief economic adviser even publicly confirmed in September 2017 that you “remain[ed] committed to ending the carried interest deduction.” Yet, only a few months later, your signature legislative package, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, did virtually nothing to change the loophole.

    Now, you have another opportunity to get the job done. You have once again confirmed your desire to end the loophole, and we understand that last week you asked Speaker Johnson to close the carried interest loophole. Notably, the House Ways and Means Committee defied your wishes and chose to advance legislation that does not eliminate the carried interest loophole.

    So, Mr. President, will you get it done?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Beyer Commends Federal Court Ruling Affirming DOGE Power Grab at USIP Was Illegal

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

    Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today issued the following statement welcoming a decision by Judge Beryl A. Howell protecting the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) from executive overreach. Judge Howell’s decision found that the Trump Administration and the “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) acted unlawfully in removing USIP Board members, thereby nullifying subsequent actions, including the Board members’ replacement by officials affiliated with DOGE, the mass firing of USIP staff, and the transfer of USIP property to the General Services Administration (GSA):

    “The Court rightly concluded the Trump Administration and DOGE’s hostile takeover of the Institute was executed without legal authority and in direct violation of congressional statute. This ruling is a decisive victory for the United States Institute of Peace, its dedicated staff, and the rule of law.

    “Congress established the Institute of Peace with the support of Ronald Reagan to advance a safer, more peaceful world. In doing so, it defined the Institute as an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit and placed clear restrictions on presidential authority to remove Board members. Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s brazen attempts to disregard these legal protections and dismantle this organization inflicted unnecessary trauma on the Institute’s committed leadership and employees, threatened the independence of more than 232,000 other 501(c)(3) non-profits across the country, and undermined American diplomacy.

    “This decision restores the rule of law and protects the Institute’s ability to fulfill its mission of resolving conflict, training peacemakers, and advancing America’s interests through global stability. I will continue to support the United States Institute of Peace and the dedicated professionals who carry out this essential work.”

    Beyer served as a U.S. Ambassador during the Obama Administration. He went to the United States Institute of Peace to conduct congressional oversight amid DOGE’s illegal power grab. He has been an outspoken defender of the United States Institute of Peace, and critic of illegal attempts by the Trump Administration and “DOGE” to dismantle it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wasserman Schultz Condemns Supreme Court Order that Empowers Trump to Return Venezuelans to Murderous Dictator

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)

    “Venezuelan TPS holders fled the Maduro regime and built lives in America. They sought refuge in America from his oppression and tyranny. This atrocious decision allows Trump to deport non-criminals back to this murderous dictator. This fight is not over. We must pass my Venezuela TPS Act to keep our community safe.”

    Washington D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), co-chair of the Venezuela Democracy Caucus, denounced a U.S. Supreme Court order that would allow the Trump Administration to return hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans right back into the hands of a murderous dictator that they had sought refuge from in coming to America.

    “Venezuelan TPS holders fled the Maduro regime and built lives in America. They sought refuge in America from his oppression and tyranny. This atrocious decision allows Trump to deport non-criminals back to this murderous dictator,” Wasserman Schultz said about the court order. “This fight is not over. We must pass my Venezuela TPS Act to keep our community safe.”

    Wasserman Schultz had led 48 Democratic Members of Congress this month in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in this case, opposing Trump’s attempt to cancel TPS. Lower courts had agreed to temporarily block Trump’s attempt to rescind those TPS protections. But earlier today, the Supreme Court released an unsigned court order that basically allows the Trump Administration to lift those TPS restrictions and begin the mass deportations of Venezuelans who had lawful status just hours ago.

    The Trump Administration seeks to deport as many as 350,000 Venezuelans, despite President Joe Biden redesignating Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, to them last year. Despite being characterized as “criminal illegals” and “dirtbags” by senior Trump Administration officials, TPS recipients must pass continuous background checks and anyone with a criminal record is not eligible for protections.

    Wasserman Schultz has also sponsored bipartisan legislation to restore and redesignate TPS for Venezuelans, led calls to Secretary Noem and Secretary Rubio to demand answers on their TPS betrayal, given worsening political repression and economic conditions in in Venezuela. And the Congresswoman from Weston, Florida, also re-introduced the Venezuelan Adjustment Act to create a pathway to lawful permanent residence for Venezuelan nationals in the United States.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Co-Leads Comment Letter Opposing Federal Government’s Proposal to Significantly Weaken the Federal Endangered Species Act

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led a coalition of 16 attorneys general in sending a comment letter to the Trump Administration opposing a proposed rule by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (collectively, the Services) to rescind the regulatory definitions of “harm” under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). This change, if finalized, would significantly weaken the law’s ability to protect imperiled wildlife, especially from threats to the habitat upon which these species depend for their survival and recovery. This would include destroying breeding and feeding grounds, polluting or draining critical water sources, or degrading habitat, even if those actions lead to the death or injury of protected ESA-listed species. 

    “California is home to more than 300 species listed as threatened or endangered under the federal ESA, whose survival depends on the continued protection provided by the ESA,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Not only would the proposed rule put our ecosystems in critical danger, but the Trump Administration would be making this change illegally. My fellow attorneys general and I will continue to defend laws that protect endangered and threatened species and the preservation of biodiversity. Both humanity and the species with whom we share this planet depend on it.” 

    The ESA has been recognized as “the most comprehensive legislation for the preservation of endangered species ever enacted by any nation.” Enacted by Congress in 1973 with bipartisan support, the ESA provides a national program for the protection and recovery of endangered and threatened species and their habitats. Since then, the ESA has helped bring back several species from near-extinction, including the bald eagle, which is our national bird and an emblem of the nation, and the California condor. 

    In their letter, the attorneys general argue that the proposed rule from the Services, if finalized, will significantly reduce protections for vulnerable species and make it much harder to save such species from extinction, which is contrary to the plain language and purposes of the ESA, as well as longstanding Supreme Court precedent and other caselaw upholding the existing definitions. Not only is this proposed rule in violation of the ESA, but it also violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. 

    California has millions of acres of lands that provide habitat for endangered and threatened species, and numerous local jurisdictions and private parties adhere to voluntary habitat conservation plans. These plans adjust land uses and development plans, and provide habitat protection and mitigation programs, to allow for reasonable economic development while avoiding, minimizing, and mitigating harm to listed species and their habitats. 

    California Attorney General Bonta co-led the letter with Massachusetts Attorney General Joy Campbell and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown. They were joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Conneticut, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.  

    A copy of the comment letter can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Republican Budget Bill Threatens Health Coverage

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the harmful effects of several healthcare provisions already passed from the House Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce committees for the Republican budget reconciliation bill. These provisions collectively amount to an annual loss of nearly $13.5 billion for New Yorkers and our healthcare sector, jeopardizing healthcare access for millions of New Yorkers while imperiling the state’s hospitals and other healthcare providers.

    “House Republicans are unrelenting in their pursuit to slash critical safety net programs like Medicaid that millions of New Yorkers rely on,” Governor Hochul said. “I’ll say it again, no one State can backfill these massive cuts – our Republican congressional members must speak out and push back to protect New Yorkers, now.”

    The provisions as currently written will lead to substantial changes in how the critical public insurance programs Medicaid and the Essential Plan are funded and administered across the state. According to the text of the bill language as passed by Ways & Means, more than half (50%) of Essential Plan funding — more than $7.5 billion — would be slashed, threatening the future of the program, and causing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to lose coverage. That same Ways & Means text would shift almost $3 billion of costs to the State, and result in billions of dollars in cuts to the State’s healthcare providers.

    In addition to the devastating financial losses to the Essential Plan, the text of the bill language as passed by Energy & Commerce requires states to impose stricter work reporting requirements and onerous verification processes for Medicaid, both of which will significantly increase the administrative burden of the program, thus making coverage more difficult to access. All told, the Republican bill would cause nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers to lose coverage and become uninsured. The Republican bill would also eliminate critical funding mechanisms long used to support our healthcare providers, place enormous strain on the health care system and trigger widespread impacts across local economies. The state anticipates an additional fiscal impact of more than $3 billion due to the Energy & Commerce language, including approximately $500 million in new administrative costs alone.

    View a congressional district-by-district breakdown on anticipated funding losses here.

    New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “The proposed changes to federal health care funding would have serious consequences for New York State. Losing coverage for nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers would lead to significantly worse health outcomes for New Yorkers and would put immense strain on our health care system. We remain committed to working with all levels of government to protect access to quality, affordable care for all New Yorkers.”

    Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer said, ““This is as cruel and heartless as it gets. Trump and House Republicans want to kick 1.5 million New Yorkers off their health insurance and rip away $13.5 billion from NY’s hospitals and healthcare economy so they can have bigger tax breaks for billionaires & corporations. NY House Republicans promised for months they would protect Medicaid, but now New Yorkers know the truth: they never intended to keep that promise, and this confirms it. This isn’t targeting waste and fraud, this is a rushed plan to bankroll Trump’s tax breaks for the ultra-rich paid for by ripping away healthcare for New Yorkers. Hospitals and nursing homes will shutter, premiums will go up, families will suffer, and health care workers will lose their jobs. NY House Republicans need to stand up to Trump and stand up for New York, and stop the largest cut to healthcare in American history.”

    Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “This proposal would be catastrophic for the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid. Republicans should be focused on bringing down the cost of essentials; instead, they are making health care harder to access and more expensive. They have proposed work requirements for Medicaid that ignore the fact that most Medicaid recipients already work, and would cost New York State an estimated $500 million to administer and enforce – all for minimal cost savings. The Republican bill puts kids at risk of losing health care through Medicaid and CHIP and puts the future of our state’s many rural hospitals in jeopardy. This is an unacceptable piece of legislation, and I will be doing everything in my power to stop it from passing.”

    House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “Across our great state, millions rely on Medicaid for life-saving and life-sustaining healthcare coverage. Under the Republican plan, 1.5 million New Yorkers would lose their insurance, including over 60,000 residents of the Eighth Congressional District, as part of a toxic scheme to enact massive tax cuts for billionaires like Elon Musk. Nursing homes will close, hospitals will shut down and Community Health Centers will lose funding. It is time for House Republicans in New York to come up with the courage to stand up for their constituents and join with Democrats to prevent this devastating attack on the healthcare that New Yorkers depend on to survive.”

    Representative Jerrold Nadler said, “The House Republicans’ dangerous budget reconciliation bill would rip health care away from nearly 14 million Americans, including 1.5 million New Yorkers. Let’s be clear: this is an attack on the health care millions of families rely on, and it has nothing to do with fighting fraud, waste, or abuse. These cuts would fall hardest on children, women, seniors, and people with disabilities. It’s a shameful assault on the most vulnerable in our society, all to bankroll tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. Every member of New York’s Congressional Delegation has a moral obligation to vote no on this devastating bill. To do anything less would be a callous betrayal of the New York families we represent.”

    Representative Nydia Velázquez said, “This is a calculated, partisan attack on New York by extremist Republicans who would rather dismantle public healthcare than ask billionaires to pay their fair share. Gutting the Essential Plan and subtracting $13.5 billion from the New York State economy is not sound policy; it is an assault on immigrants, workers, and underserved communities. These cuts will devastate safety net hospitals, strip coverage from over a million people, and punish states that remain committed to upholding their moral responsibility to provide care for all.”

    Representative Yvette D. Clarke said, “My Republican colleagues are so determined to gift tax breaks to their billionaire donors that they’ll strip healthcare from millions of Americans just to fund them. Let’s be clear: New Yorkers will lose their lives from the proposed cuts to Medicaid and other critical safety nets. Families won’t be able to afford to put food on the table, much less access the care they depend on to survive. For the safety and health of our communities and those across the nation, Congress has a moral responsibility to draw a line in the sand and not allow these cruel cuts to pass.”

    Representative Paul Tonko said, “I spent last week in Congress stating in the strongest possible terms my opposition to the Republicans’ budget betrayal and sharing the personal, devastating impacts these cuts would have on the communities and constituents I represent. New York State stands to lose billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid from the reduced federal match, the provider tax provisions and more senseless provisions in this cruel package. Too many lives are at stake: I will continue to fight against this heartless budget with everything I’ve got.”

    Representative Grace Meng said, “As it stands, the GOP budget would threaten health care for hundreds of thousands of Queens residents in my district and the health care providers throughout New York that serve them. My Queens district has hundreds of thousands of Medicaid enrollees, many of which are children and seniors. Drastic cuts in federal funding will leave untold numbers without care and make it increasingly burdensome for local hospitals and community health centers to provide vital services. Health care is a basic need and the budgetary cuts the GOP is attempting to make will decimate our health care system in Queens and beyond.”

    Representative Adriano Espaillat said, “House Republicans remind us daily where their loyalties lie, even if it means supporting Donald Trump’s budget cuts that put millions of Americans at risk of becoming uninsured and hospitals in peril of losing critical funding to care for patients around the nation. The GOP’s attack on Medicaid harms more than 500,000 Medicaid recipients in my district, and I am doing all that it takes to combat these reckless policies that threaten our communities and health care throughout our state.”

    Representative Joe Morelle said, “President Trump’s plan to slash funding for Medicaid and the Essential Plan would take health care coverage away from thousands of Rochester residents, including vulnerable children and retirees. These reckless cuts would overwhelm emergency rooms with uncompensated care and devastate both our health care system and local economy. We cannot let this happen—I will continue fighting in Congress to protect these lifesaving programs.”

    Representative Dan Goldman said, “The Trump/Republican budget bill puts billionaires first and working-class Americans last. Every New York Republican in the House has voted to support the framework of a Republican budget that would strip away health care from nearly 14 million people, cut taxes for billionaires and raise taxes on working-class Americans, gut food benefits for the poor, maintain the Trump SALT cap, cancel clean energy projects, and increase the deficit by trillions of dollars. This bill is a betrayal of GOP campaign promises and the promise that the American Dream is accessible to everyone. New York Republicans must be held accountable for turning their backs on their own constituents.”

    Representative Tom Suozzi said, “The Reconciliation Budget bill will hit NY hospitals and nursing homes hard, while cutting health insurance for millions of Americans. These cuts will happen while giving unnecessary tax cuts to the wealthiest among us while adding $4 trillion to the deficit. I will keep up the fight for the health care New Yorkers deserve.”

    Representative Timothy M. Kennedy said, “Despite months of insisting they would not cut Medicaid, House Republicans are showing their true colors, eliminating critical social safety nets in order to force through a budget-busting tax break for billionaires. As families struggle to make ends meet, the House Republicans’ spending bill shows where their true priorities lie: helping the ultra-rich over their working-class constituents. Western New Yorkers cannot afford this anti-working family agenda.”

    Representative George Latimer said, “Everyday Americans will suffer if the Republicans’ budget becomes law. 196,000 people in my district will have their healthcare taken away – from children to seniors, and the disabled. I’m sure the state and hospitals will step in the best they can, but care will be much more expensive if these Medicaid cuts go into effect. For what? Tax breaks for billionaires. It’s unconscionable.”

    Representative Josh Riley said, “The House Republicans’ dangerous budget reconciliation bill would rip health care away from nearly 14 million Americans, including 1.5 million New Yorkers. Let’s be clear: this is an attack on the health care millions of families rely on, and it has nothing to do with fighting fraud, waste, or abuse. These cuts would fall hardest on children, women, seniors, and people with disabilities. It’s a shameful assault on the most vulnerable in our society, all to bankroll tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. Every member of New York’s Congressional Delegation has a moral obligation to vote no on this devastating bill. To do anything less would be a callous betrayal of the New York families we represent.”

    Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said, “While House Republicans in Washington are advancing a budget that would devastate New York’s health care system—stripping coverage from 1.2 million New Yorkers and costing our state more than $11 billion annually—we are doing the opposite. In our state budget, we’ve expanded mental health services, restored funding to distressed hospitals, and invested in reproductive and primary care access. We are protecting people, not cutting them off. This federal proposal is not just reckless—it’s cruel. Every New Yorker should contact their member of Congress and demand they reject this dangerous plan. We can’t stand by while Washington plays politics with people’s lives.”

    Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, “This decision will devastate New Yorkers seeking healthcare and providers all across our state. It’s time for the Republican members of New York’s congressional delegation to stand up and stand against this decision that will harm their constituents directly.”

    Greater New York Hospital Association President Ken Raske said, “These proposals will strip health coverage from millions of hardworking individuals, drive up uncompensated care costs for financially struggling hospitals, and shift unsustainable costs to New York State. The Ways and Means Committee’s immigration coverage provision alone could cost our hospitals $1.3 billion per year from uncompensated care increases and lower reimbursement levels. This will harm all patients, not just those with Medicaid coverage. These proposals will wreck New York’s hospital system.”

    Hospital Association of New York State President Bea Grause said, “The House budget reconciliation bill threatens to shatter New York’s already fragile healthcare system. This perfect storm of a bill threatens our patients’ access to care, the jobs our healthcare system supports and the economies of our local communities. Washington should be advancing bills that ensure our hospitals, nursing homes and other providers are there when New Yorkers need them. This bill does the opposite. HANYS calls on every member of the New York Congressional delegation to vote no on this bill.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – consequences of pulling funding from some UN organisations – E-001635/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001635/2025/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Benoit Cassart (Renew)

    On 3 February 2025, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from some UN organisations and pulled funding from a number of them, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). As a result, the UNHCR is facing a funding deficit of several hundred million dollars, around 40 % of its annual budget. The High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, made an urgent plea for other donors to plug the shortfall.

    • 1.What can the Commission do to step up its support for the UNHCR in 2025 to compensate for the United States suspending its funding? What would the geopolitical, diplomatic and humanitarian ramifications be if the EU were to shift its position in that way?
    • 2.Heading 4, migration and border management, is one of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) priority policy areas and had a budget of EUR 22 671 million (in 2018 prices) for the period 2021-2027. Could the 2028-2034 MFF provide for a budget line for the UNHCR under that heading?

    Submitted: 23.4.2025

    Last updated: 19 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: ICYMI: New projection signals good news for families, workers in Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’

    Source: The White House

    President Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill will raise take-home pay by as much as $13,300 and wages by as much as $11,600, according to a new report from the Council of Economic Advisers.

    From Fox News:

    “A key U.S. economic agency is projecting that President Donald Trump’s tax policy in his ‘one big, beautiful bill’ will lead to increased take-home pay for American families and higher wages for U.S. workers.

    The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), which advises the White House on economic policy, released a report on Monday morning that said, ‘Taken as a whole, the CEA estimates that the tax cuts in the President’s proposals and the One Big Beautiful Bill will substantially boost investment and GDP relative to if expiring provisions from the [Tax Cuts and Jobs Act] are not extended.’ […]

    ‘For workers and families, the CEA forecasts that wages will be about $6,100 to $11,600 higher, with family take-home pay $7,800 to $13,300 higher because of the increase in wages and reduction in tax obligations,’ the new analysis said.

    The CEA said the added deduction for seniors, meanwhile, would increase the average take-home pay for qualifying seniors by approximately $400 to $450 per year.

    If passed, the policies would also boost U.S. investment in the long run from 4.9% to 7.5%, according to the projection, and could save or create as many as 4.2 million full-time equivalent jobs in the long run.

    It also estimated that Trump’s ‘no tax on tips’ proposal alone would increase tipped workers’ pay by an average $1,675 per year, while eliminating the tax on overtime wages ‘will cause overtime workers to increase their overtime hours by 4.7 percent, leading to a 0.2 percent increase in aggregate labor supply while the provision is in effect.’

    ‘As a result, the level of GDP increases by 0.1 to 0.2 percent in the short run. The average overtime worker receives a tax cut of between $1,400 and $1,750 per year,’ the projection said.”

    Click here to read the full story.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal Statement on SCOTUS Ruling Allowing for the Termination of Temporary Protected Status for Venezuela

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela:

    “The Trump administration is cruelly moving forward with ending TPS for 350,000 Venezuelans who have fled the authoritarian Maduro regime. Venezuelans face extreme oppression, arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings, and torture. Poverty levels are surging, and essentials like electricity, water, and medical care are scarce. The dire circumstances in Venezuela make it clear that this is exactly the type of situation that requires our government to provide TPS.

    “The Administration’s move to end TPS for Venezuelans throws out people who are contributing substantially to our economy, including in Florida, which is home to the largest share of TPS holders of all 50 states, with almost 300,000 TPS holders, about 60 percent of whom are Venezuelan. Economists have warned that the Administration’s cruel moves on ending TPS for those who have committed no crimes and are here working will have enormous economic consequences, disrupt businesses, increase prices for consumers, and lead to deeper labor shortages. 

    “It is shameful that the Trump administration would pull the rug out from so many Venezuelans who came into the country lawfully, fleeing untold violence and devastation in their home country.“

    The US Department of State has a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Venezuela due to high rates of violent crime, including homicide, as well as the presence of active terrorist groups. The Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel in 2019. 

    Issues: Immigration

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: Republicans are throwing millions of Americans off their health insurance

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – May 14, 2025

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. Pleased to be joined with the Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Ted Lieu.

    This week, Republicans have laid out exactly who they are fighting for. After weeks of promises that they wouldn’t cut Medicaid, their budget contains drastic cuts that will throw millions off of health insurance. After campaigning on helping working-class Americans get ahead, their budget, once again, rewards billionaires and wealthy corporations and makes it harder for families to make ends meet. They are watching prices go up because of Trump’s reckless tariffs, and their response is to take food off of the table for women, veterans and children. The Republican budget doesn’t address the cost-of-living crisis, it makes it worse. The cost of groceries, clothing and everyday necessities are still too high, and Republicans want to add to that and make health care more expensive on top of it. This isn’t about helping people find good-paying jobs or a shot at a better life. This is simply about helping people like Elon Musk pay less in taxes.

    House Democrats believe that we can shore up these basic-needs programs and help everyday Americans reach their full potential. It’s long past time that the wealthiest of Americans pay their fair share and make it easier for working families to afford basic needs like health care and housing. These devastating cuts will make Americans—particularly children—sicker, hungrier and poorer. They’re shortchanging the future just so their friends can continue to get richer. The American people cannot afford the Republican budget and House Democrats are using every tool at our disposal to stop it. I want to thank our Energy and Commerce Members who continue to meet, Ways and Means Members who continue to highlight the unfairness of this plan that Republicans are putting forward and the Agriculture Committee, who will continue to fight for nutrition programs throughout the day. Vice Chair Ted Lieu.

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar. Omaha, Nebraska is the sixth-largest city in America led by a Republican. And last night, in a stunning upset, Democrats flipped that seat from Red to Blue. I want to congratulate Mayor-Elect John Ewing Jr., who’s going to be the new mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. We also know that voters are very angry at Republicans who continue to enable Donald Trump’s harmful policies. And the Republican mayor, in this case, aligned herself completely with Donald Trump, and the voters spoke out in Omaha, and now we have a Democratic Mayor-Elect.

    I also want to talk about now the Qatari luxury palace in the sky gift to Donald Trump. There is no such thing as a free palace in the sky. What do foreign countries want when they gift massive amounts of money and other gifts to the President? Donald Trump should reject this gift of the luxury palace in the sky, Boeing 747, completely and righteously. Because we are the United States of America, we don’t need gifts from foreign countries. We can build our own very impressive Air Force One. We don’t need to fly a Qatari plane around as our Air Force One. That’s also un-American. I also want to note that new reporting came out showing that to retrofit this Qatari 747 would take perhaps up to a billion dollars, because you can’t just fly a palace in the sky from a foreign country. You have to actually make it safe and secure. You have to make this plane ready to launch nuclear weapons. You can’t have people eavesdropping on it, and so it’s going to cost way more money to do it this way. And again, people need to ask why is a foreign country trying to give this massive gift to Donald Trump? And think about the precedent it would set. Would it be okay if Brunei gifted a luxury 757 to J.D. Vance for Air Force Two? Would it be okay if Germany gave a Porsche SUV to Senator Thune as his official car? Would it be okay if Italy gave a bunch of expensive Armani suits to Speaker Johnson for his official duties? No, it wouldn’t be okay. Also, because the Constitution says you can’t do this, it requires Congressional approval for the President to accept the gift of this size. And we urge the Republicans in Congress to stand up, speak out and call for a vote if Donald Trump were to accept this essential bribe from a foreign government. 

    And then let me now conclude on Medicaid. We now know that the Republicans lied when they said that they weren’t going to cut Medicaid. They’re cutting Medicaid by a massive amount of money, one of the largest cuts in U.S. history. Over 13.7 million people would be kicked off Medicaid. I also note that two-thirds of nursing home patients rely on Medicaid. This is also going to close down rural hospitals. It’s going to make it so that health care for all of us becomes more expensive, because if you don’t have health care under Medicaid, you’re still going to get treated. You just walk into the emergency room, and it costs even more money for all of us. So we urge Republicans to reject this massive Medicaid cut. And I just want to say, we told you so. We told you that Republicans were going to cut Medicaid, and now we know that they are doing it. So they lied, we told the truth, again.

    Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Hassan Presses Social Security Administration on Surge in Constituent Concerns About Social Security Delays

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) is pressing the Social Security Administration about a surge in constituent concerns about delays in receiving their Social Security benefits.  

    “Due to the haphazard actions of Elon Musk and his so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency,’ seniors in New Hampshire are struggling with significant delays in receiving the Social Security benefits that they worked for their entire lives,” wrote Senator Hassan in her letter to Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano. “I urge you to immediately reverse Elon Musk’s slow-down in Social Security benefit payments, open an investigation into Social Security payment delays, and provide transparent answers to Congress regarding how many seniors are waiting longer than they did last year for their Social Security checks. 

    “My office has seen a significant increase in outreach from Granite Staters who are facing issues receiving the Social Security benefits that they have earned,” continued Senator Hassan. “Constituents have reported delays in receiving their checks or receiving a lower benefit amount than usual. Others have reported being unable to access their accounts and unable to reach anyone on the phone to get assistance… The surge in issues faced by seniors comes as the Administration has made very clear that this Administration is deliberately trying, as part of its agenda, to make it more difficult for seniors to access their earned benefits.”  

    Senator Hassan urged Commissioner Bisignano to explain the delays and pressed him to provide information on how many seniors have experienced delays, as well as information on what actions Elon Musk and DOGE have taken that affected systems related to the timely payment of benefits.  

    Senator Hassan has been speaking out against President Trump’s attacks on Social Security, including the Administration’s moves to close Littleton’s Social Security office and to fire employees across the country who help provide in-person and telephone customer service to seniors. Earlier this month, Senator Hassan participated in a town hall with Granite State seniors to hear about their concerns, particularly their concerns about Social Security. In March, she met with North Country seniors to hear their concerns and explore what can be done to avert closure of the Littleton Social Security field office. Earlier this year, Senators Hassan and Shaheen sent a letter calling on the leaders of the General Services Administration and Social Security Administration to stop any efforts to close the Littleton Social Security field office as well as stop broader attacks on Social Security. 

    Click here to see the full letter or see below:  

    Dear Commissioner Bisignano:

    Due to the haphazard actions of Elon Musk and his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” seniors in New Hampshire are struggling with significant delays in receiving the Social Security benefits that they worked for their entire lives. I urge you to immediately reverse Elon Musk’s slow-down in Social Security benefit payments, open an investigation into Social Security payment delays, and provide transparent answers to Congress regarding how many seniors are waiting longer than they did last year for their Social Security checks. 

    My office has seen a significant increase in outreach from Granite Staters who are facing issues receiving the Social Security benefits that they have earned. Constituents have reported delays in receiving their checks or receiving a lower benefit amount than usual. Others have reported being unable to access their accounts and unable to reach anyone on the phone to get assistance. Most concerning is that multiple seniors have contacted my office after the Social Security Administration unilaterally suspended their benefits with little explanation and limited recourse to get assistance online or by phone. This is absolutely unacceptable. 

    The surge in issues faced by seniors comes as the Administration has made very clear that this Administration is deliberately trying, as part of its agenda, to make it more difficult for seniors to access their earned benefits. Elon Musk called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme” and called for cutting one-third of Social Security and Medicare. Howard Lutnick, the Commerce Department Secretary, subsequently claimed that seniors waiting for Social Security checks “wouldn’t call and complain.” According to Secretary Lutnick, only fraudsters would complain about a delayed or missing Social Security payment: “a fraudster always makes the loudest noise, screaming, yelling and complaining.”

    Given the harm that Elon Musk’s actions have imposed on seniors in New Hampshire, I urge you to take immediate steps to reverse any changes at the Social Security Administration that have delayed Social Security payments to seniors and to open an investigation into the consequences of DOGE’s actions on payments to beneficiaries. Further, I ask you to answer the questions below by June 5th.

    1. How many seniors have experienced delayed Social Security payments from January 20th, 2025, to present? Please compare this figure to the same period over each of the preceding three years.
    2. What is the Social Security Administration’s on-time payment rate for Social Security retirement benefits from January 20th, 2025, to present? Please compare this figure to the same period over each of the preceding three years.
    3. What has been the typical Social Security payment delay-period experienced by a senior from January 20th, 2025, to present, among those seniors who are not paid their benefits on time by the Social Security Administration? Please compare this figure to the same period over each of the preceding three years.
    4. What actions taken by Elon Musk and DOGE have affected systems that relate to the timely payment of Social Security benefits to seniors? Please provide a comprehensive list of these actions, the dates on which the actions took place, the affected systems, and the DOGE-affiliated individuals who carried out the actions.
    5. Does the Social Security Administration collect information regarding how many seniors attempt to call the Social Security Administration for assistance but cannot reach a person for assistance? If so, please provide this figure for January 20th, 2025, to present and please compare this figure to the same period over each of the preceding three years.

    Thank you for your attention to this pressing matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 05.19.2025 Sens. Cruz, Cornyn Led Bill to Reimburse Texas for Border Security Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced legislation to reimburse the State of Texas for the more than $11 billion dollars Texas taxpayers spent on Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border security mission launched due to President Biden’s dereliction of duty.
    Sen. Cruz said, “Texas was on the frontlines of the Biden administration’s open border crisis, and Texans were on their own dealing with the consequences. I am proud to stand with Governor Abbott and Senator Cornyn to ensure the Lone Star State is reimbursed, and I urge my colleagues to pass this bill expeditiously.”
    Sen. Cornyn said, “For four years, Governor Abbott and Texas taxpayers were forced to bear the brunt of the Biden-Harris border crisis. Today, I am proud to introduce my legislation to reimburse Texas for its historic efforts to secure the southern border. My bill will ensure the Lone Star State is repaid for stepping up to protect and defend our nation’s southern border while the Biden-Harris administration abdicated its federal duty. Thanks to the strong leadership of President Trump, Secretary Kristi Noem, Border Czar Tom Homan, and Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, our country is finally back to enforcing the immigration laws that have been on the books for years, and I will continue to work with the Trump administration to ensure Texas never again has to endure an open-border disaster like we saw under Joe Biden.”
    Companion legislation is being led in the House by Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas-21).
    Rep. Roy said, “For four years, Texans stood in the breach of the worst border crisis in recent American history. Joe Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas’s dereliction of duty led to an invasion of lawlessness, crime, danger, and drugs, putting Texans, and every American in harms way. The states like Texas that stood on the front lines to defend our nation when the federal government would not, deserve to be reimbursed by the very federal government that should have done its job in the first place.  It’s critical states like Texas have these resources to ensure adequate law enforcement funding to partner with the Trump administration to secure our border.”
    BACKGROUND
    The State Border Security Assistance Act would:
    Create funds at the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to reimburse states for actions they took after January 20, 2021, to secure the border;
    Reimburse costs of activities such as construction of border wall, surveillance of the border, and apprehension, detention, and prosecution of individuals who illegally entered the United States;
    Appropriate enough money to the funds to ensure that Texas is fully reimbursed;
    And sunset the funds after the end of the Trump Administration and return any remaining money to the Treasury for debt-reduction purposes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Donald J. Trump’s One, Big, Beautiful Bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make good on the promises Republicans have made — and that’s why advocacy groups and other stakeholders are coming out in droves to urge Congress to immediately pass the landmark bill.
    Here’s what they’re saying about the One, Big, Beautiful Bill:
    American Exploration & Production Council CEO Anne Bradbury: “On behalf of America’s leading independent producers of oil and natural gas, AXPC urges all House Republicans to pass the budget reconciliation and advance President Trump’s agenda to unleash American energy. This legislation takes decisive steps towards improving our nation’s energy landscape by repealing the Biden-era menthane tax, unlocking oil and gas development on federal lands, and alleviating regulatory pain points that have stymied the build out of American energy. Passing this bill is essential to secure America’s energy dominance through smart, durable reforms.”
    NumbersUSA: “For decades Congress has promised to secure the border and failed to deliver. The House Reconciliation bill delivers on the promise of building the border wall, 10,000 ICE officers, detention beds, historic funding for Customs and Border Patrol and a tax on money illegal aliens send out of the country. The Trump Administration needs this funding to deport illegal aliens, millions of whom entered the country over the last four years. The American people voted in mess this last election to secure our borders and return law and order to our immigration system. Congress must not fail them.”
    Airlines for America: “A4A strongly supports the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and applauds the inclusion of a critical investment of $12.5 billion in modernizing the Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic facilities, systems and infrastructure. For years, A4A has been sounding the alarm about ATC staffing shortages and antiquated equipment, such as copper wires and floppy disks. Given the challenges facing the air traffic system, these funds are a vital down payment on updating the technology that guides 27,000 flights, 2.7 million passengers and 61,000 tons of cargo every day—all while driving five percent of our nation’s GDP. The legislation also makes smart, strategic investments in Customs and Border Protection personnel and training for the aviation workforce of tomorrow while supporting American energy dominance in aviation fuel production. We encourage the House to pass this legislation and deliver on the Department of Transportation’s plan to help keep our skies safe and efficient. Modernizing our National Airspace System is necessary, and passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will help ensure the United States has a world-class aviation system.”
    National Federation of Independent Business SVP for Advocacy Adam Temple: “On behalf of NFIB, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, I write in support of the Committee’s legislative proposal to comply with reconciliation instructions contained within the concurrent resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2025, H. Con. Res. 14. As written, this is one of the most pro-small business pieces of tax legislation in recent history.”
    CTIA—The Wireless Association President and CEO Ajit Pai: “The wireless industry urges swift passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The critical spectrum and tax provisions in this legislation will allow the wireless industry to invest, create jobs, propel economic growth, and secure America’s edge in innovation.”
    Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz: “House Republicans’ big, beautiful reconciliation bill is exactly what the country needs to jumpstart the economy and guarantee the safety and prosperity of Americans for decades to come. It helps people of all backgrounds but especially small businesses, the backbone of our economy, by making permanent and expanding the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It increases the small business tax deduction used by 26 million entrepreneurs annually from 20% to 23% — a tax cut Job Creators Network has long been the leading voice for. The bill also restores 100% immediate expensing, allowing businesses to write off investments, expansion, and modernization. It will empower Main Street to expand, hire, raise wages, and reinvest in their communities, while also providing significant tax relief for ordinary folks. All Republicans should unite to support this historic reconciliation bill. We need Tax Cuts Now.”
    Business Roundtable President & COO Kristen Silverberg: “Business Roundtable strongly supports the House budget reconciliation bill. This important legislation ensures a more competitive, pro-growth tax system, secures our borders and takes the necessary step of raising the debt ceiling. We urge members of the House Budget Committee to swiftly pass this measure.”
    Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council President & CEO Karen Kerrigan: “SBE Council strongly supports the One Big, Beautiful Bill and urges every member of the U.S. House to vote in support of this economically powerful package. The One Big, Beautiful Bill provides entrepreneurs and small businesses with the tools and policy environment they need to invest in their businesses and workforce, to innovate and strengthen their firms, and to lead America’s economic resurgence.”
    Associated Equipment Distributors SVP Daniel B. Fisher: “This legislation will spur economic growth and job creation, incentivize capital investment, and ensure AED members, which supply and maintain the equipment needed to build, feed and fuel America, remain competitive for years to come. We urge support for the bill and look forward to working with the entire House of Representatives to approve it as soon as possible.”
    National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association Interim CEO Michele Stanley: “NSSGA appreciates that ‘The One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ includes aggregates industry priorities, such as bonus depreciation, the Research and Development Tax Credit, small business deductions, keeping the corporate tax rate at the status quo and protecting percentage depletion and estate taxes. Additionally, we appreciate the committee’s commitment to safeguarding associations’ tax-protected status. NSSGA thanks the committee for introducing this bill and encourages the Ways and Means Committee and the House of Representatives to pass this package in a timely manner.”
    60 Plus Association Chairman Jim Martin: “It’s a win for seniors across the country. The President and House Republicans are providing much needed tax relief to middle and low-income seniors.”
    Association of Mature American Citizens Action SVP Andrew J. Mangione, Jr.: “This bill is a win for seniors, for taxpayers, and for the future of our country. We urge swift passage and full support from lawmakers who value liberty, accountability, and the financial security of AMAC members across the country.”
    RATE Coalition Executive Director Dan Combs: “This legislation is a clear step toward preserving a tax code that spurs job creation, boosts wages, and builds on the legacy created by President Trump and Congress under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Now is the time for Congress to come together, finish the work, and deliver a strong, stable economic foundation for American workers and businesses. A competitive corporate tax rate is key to keeping the U.S. ahead and a top destination for investment in the global economy. This bill goes a long way towards making that possible.”
    Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi: “We’ve said from the start: No Tax on Tips should include @Uber drivers & couriers. Grateful the new House Ways & Means bill does just that. Thanks to @POTUS and @RepJasonSmith for backing all tipped workers—no matter how they work. Let’s get this done!”
    DoorDash CEO Tony Xu: “Thanks to @POTUS and @RepJasonSmith, millions of Dashers may soon get a tax break on their hard-earned tips. Following advocacy from 40K Dashers, including dozens in DC last week, the House’s budget bill is an important step in making #NoTaxOnTips a reality.”
    Americans for Prosperity Chief Government Affairs Officer Brent Gardner: “The Republican Party has an incredible opportunity to put the country on the right track for long-term economic growth by making the Trump Tax Cuts permanent and avoiding the largest tax hike in American history. This bill is smart pro-growth policy that would provide certainty for American businesses and lead to sustained prosperity for millions of working Americans. This legislation also takes meaningful action to cut billions in special interest giveaways, reforming broken programs, and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse –   ensuring that taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars are spent wisely. It’s about making government work better for the people it serves. We’re encouraged by the foundation laid in the House and stand ready to work with Senate lawmakers to get this measure across the finish line. The moment for action is now. We urge all Members to support this legislation and put our economy on the path to growth and opportunity.”
    Concerned Veterans for America Executive Director John Vick: “Failing to extend President Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would impose the largest tax hike in U.S. history on American families and businesses. Congress must seize its opportunity to protect our long-term prosperity while improving the lives of middle-class Americans. The American people sent a clear message last November: they are tired of massive tax hikes, higher prices, reckless government spending, and Biden-era “Green New Deal” giveaways. Congress must answer this call by moving budget reconciliation forward. As veterans, we fought for a better future for our fellow Americans. We also understand that a strong economy is the bedrock of American strength at home and abroad. Today, CVA calls on Congress to act to protect the promise of long-term economic growth and prosperity for all Americans.”
    The LIBRE Initiative Executive Director Sandra Benitez: “We commend the House Budget Committee for taking a positive step to ensure that we continue extending tax relief to middle-class families and job creators, including Latinos who cannot afford a tax hike. Now it is critical that the House of Representatives have a full House vote as quickly as possible and approve this pro-growth legislation to help unleash prosperity and opportunity for all. The LIBRE Initiative looks forward to educating and activating the Latino community on the benefits of this critical legislation.”
    America First Policy Institute: “Conservatives must deliver to the American people! The One, Big, Beautiful Bill cuts taxes for ALL Americans, secures the border, stands up to the woke mob by empowering parents and protecting women and children, and much more!”
    Independent Women Center for Economic Opportunity Director Patrice Onwuka: “Passing the Big, Beautiful Bill is an imperative. The stakes are high. If Congress fails to pass this bill, average Americans face a massive 22% tax increase, 40 million families will see their Child Tax Credit slashed in half, and 26 million small businesses face a 43.4% top tax rate. Republicans should not hold up tax relief for American families and small businesses to bail out high-tax blue states.”
    Family Business Coalition: “Family Business Coalition supports the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ which includes tax relief that will help family businesses expand, upgrade equipment, and hire more workers. FBC urges the House to take action now to move this process forward in Congress.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Estes Votes to Advance One Big, Beautiful Bill

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

    Last night, Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) voted to advance the full budget reconciliation bill in the House Budget Committee – which passed the committee 17 – 16. He delivered remarks in support of the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act last Friday in the Budget Committee markup.
     
    “The bill we’re marking up here today is the culmination of years of work to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, secure our borders and rein in wasteful Washington spending,” said Rep. Estes. “It’s a bill that meets the mandate provided to this Congress by the American people last November. It’s a bill for the American people, and my friends on the left have only empty talking points to try and paint this legislation as something that it’s not.”

    Watch video of Rep. Estes’ remarks  
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It’s good to be here with you and our colleagues as we work to advance the America First policies that are embedded in this One Big, Beautiful Bill.
     
    The bill we’re marking up here today is the culmination of years of work to extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, secure our borders and rein in wasteful Washington spending.
     
    It’s a bill that meets the mandate provided to this Congress by the American people last November. It’s a bill for the American people, and my friends on the left have only empty talking points to try and paint this legislation as something that it’s not.
     
    Today, I want to take a brief moment and refute some of the lies with some of the facts.
     
    First, let’s look at the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. While nearly half of my Republican and Democrat colleagues were not here in 2017, I remember the quote “crumbs” Nancy Pelosi claimed the middle class Americans would be receiving because of the Trump Tax Cuts. The reality is those “crumbs” were really thousands of dollars in lower taxes, increased wages, and stronger economic opportunities for Americans at all economic levels.
     
    On Tax Day of this year, I wrote an op-ed about the left’s deceit on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Mr. Chairman, I’d like to submit that op-ed for the record.
     
    In it, I said, “The New York Times noted in 2019 that most Americans received a tax cut from the 2017 tax reform but simply didn’t believe it. “Their quote was: “To a large degree, the gap between perception and reality on the tax cuts appears to flow from a sustained—and misleading—effort by liberal opponents of the law to brand it as a broad middle-class tax increase,” the paper wrote. 
     
    “And in 2021, then-House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries told MSNBC, “83% of the benefits went to the wealthiest 1%, and they saddled us with approximately $2 trillion in debt to subsidize the lifestyle of the rich and shameless.”
     
    “The statement was so bad, The Washington Post upgraded its fact check from two “Pinocchios” to three and called it a “zombie claim.” That’s because Jeffries and Democrats were relying on projections of what would happen after significant provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act expired—the same provisions Republicans are trying to save and Democrats are trying to stop.”
     
    In the op-ed, I went on to say that the flow of misinformation has convinced a broad swath of Americans that they didn’t receive a tax cut – which they did – and the same cast of deceivers is trying to dupe Americans by promoting the extension of the law as a tax giveaway for millionaires and billionaires – which it isn’t. The Joint Committee on Taxation says that Americans making between 30,000 and 80,000 dollars would pay 15 percent less in taxes in 2027 under our bill, a nearly double higher percentage than those making over 1 million dollars.
     
    Nevertheless, we’re already seeing success in our physical and financial security.
     
    This week we learned the annual inflation rate is the lowest it’s been since Joe Biden first took office more than four years ago. Let me clear – prices are too high, and the impact of inflation is still hurting Americans and hurting Kansans, but we’re finally turning the page.
     
    Mr. Chairman, this bill – particularly the pro-family, pro-worker, pro-growth provisions – is critical to preventing a massive tax increase for everyday Americans, to give our economy a boost, secure our border and bend the curve on decades of Washington’s waste, fraud and abuse spending. I urge my colleagues to support this One Big, Beautiful Bill.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Rosen Lead Colleagues in Demanding President Trump Lift Hold on High-Speed Internet Funding for New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, and U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led 1o Senate colleagues in a letter demanding that the Trump administration release funding for states under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This program connects families in the hardest-to-serve communities to high-speed internet. Senator Luján successfully helped pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that created the BEAD Program. New Mexico has been approved to receive $675 million in funding through the BEAD Program, but the Trump administration’s pause on this critical program is indefinitely delaying New Mexico’s ability to connect New Mexicans to high-speed internet.

    “We write with concern regarding the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) recent announcement that it is delaying the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program,” wrote the senators. “This unprecedented move by the NTIA will further delay our communities from having the connectivity they need to grow and thrive. To unlock the full strength of the U.S. economy, every community must have access to the vast opportunities enabled by broadband, and this can be achieved by your Administration following the law as outlined in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).”

    “Currently, there are multiple states ready for broadband providers to put shovels in the ground tomorrow,” the senators continued. “NTIA must act swiftly to release BEAD funding to states that have already been approved and expeditiously work to approve the remaining eligible applications. Time is of the essence, and our rural and tribal communities cannot afford more delays.”

    In addition to Senators Luján and Rosen, the letter was signed by Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Angus King (I-ME).

    As Ranking Member of the Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media, Senator Luján is a strong champion for 100% broadband connectivity. In the 118th Congress, Senator Luján introduced the bipartisan Tribal Connect Act to make it easier for Tribes to secure high-speed internet access at Tribal Essential Community-Serving Institutions through the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF) Schools and Libraries Program, or E-Rate program. In the 117th Congress, Senator Luján introduced legislation to help close the homework gap by equipping school buses with Wi-Fi technology and improving financing options for broadband deployment.

    The full letter can be found here or below:

    Dear President Trump:

    We write with concern regarding the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) recent announcement that it is delaying the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This unprecedented move by the NTIA will further delay our communities from having the connectivity they need to grow and thrive. To unlock the full strength of the U.S. economy, every community must have access to the vast opportunities enabled by broadband, and this can be achieved by your Administration following the law as outlined in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58).

    The intent of Congress when it created and appropriated over $42 billion for the bipartisan BEAD program was to connect the hardest-to-serve Americans to high-speed internet and finally close the digital divide. Congress explicitly shaped this program to give deference to states, so they could address the unique challenges their states face reaching the goals of the program Congress mandated.

    Currently, there are multiple states ready for broadband providers to put shovels in the ground tomorrow. Forty-two states have begun or completed their BEAD application process. Three states have even had their applications fully approved and yet are waiting on funds to be released by your Administration. Many states have applications that are tech-neutral and dramatically more cost-effective than previous projects funded by federal broadband programs, all while fulfilling the program’s mission to bring high-speed, reliable broadband to all unserved communities in their state. The attempts by NTIA to revise the state application process at this late stage will cause further delays to the program and leave rural and tribal communities behind in an increasingly connected economy. NTIA must act swiftly to release BEAD funding to states that have already been approved and expeditiously work to approve the remaining eligible applications. Time is of the essence, and our rural and tribal communities cannot afford more delays.

    It is imperative to follow the law, deliver on the promise of access to affordable high-speed internet, and ensure that every American, regardless of where they live, has the tools to succeed in the modern economy.

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy on Meet The Press: Republican Tax Plan is Greatest Transfer of Wealth from the Poor and Middle Class to the Rich in the History of the Country

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    May 18, 2025

    [embedded content]

    WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Sunday joined NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker to discuss the Trump administration and congressional Republicans’ plan to give the ultra-wealthy a giant tax break paid for by slashing Medicaid and programs millions of Americans rely on, and President Trump’s corruption of U.S. foreign policy.

    Murphy slammed the disastrous Republican tax plan: “Well, what we’re standing in the way of is the most massive transfer of wealth from the poor and the middle class to the rich in the history of the country. This budget bill is an absolute disaster. It is going to kick over 10 million people off of their health care — Medicaid covers about a quarter of all Americans — in order to pass along a new trillion-dollar tax cut for the richest 1%. Nobody in this country is asking for that…These guys are running the economy recklessly because all they care about is the health of the Mar-a-Lago billionaire class. They only care about their corporate friends. They’re going to destroy this economy, they’re going to throw millions of people off of health care, just so that they can pass along a benefit to a small handful of very rich Americans.”

    Murphy pushed back on claims by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the growing deficit is due to Democratic policies: “I think it’s important to remember that some of the most important legislative achievements during Joe Biden’s presidency were done in a way that reduced the deficit. In fact, the Inflation Reduction Act – which made massive investments in renewable energy, reduced prescription drug costs – was done in a way that drove down the deficit, not driving the deficit up. Most of the deficit was added under Joe Biden’s presidency was in those early days when we were still recovering from the pandemic. But there’s just no doubt that it was Donald Trump who added more to the deficit than any president in the history of the country, and he is on pace to do it for a second time. It’s going to crater the economy. And listen, it won’t have an impact on his billionaire friends. His Mar-a-Lago crowd will come out all right, but it will impact the regular people I represent in New Britain, Bristol and Bridgeport, Connecticut.”

    On Trump’s corrupt trip to the Middle East, Murphy said: “So why did he choose these three countries to go to for his first major foreign trip? It’s not because these are our most important allies, are the most important countries in the world. It’s because these are the three countries willing to pay him off. Every single one of these countries is giving Trump money — the plane from Qatar and investment in his cryptocurrency scam from the UAE, and they are asking for national security concessions in return. This is the definition of corruption. Foreign governments putting money in the President’s pocket and in the United States, giving them national concerning concessions that hurt our own security.”

    He continued: “By the way, the plane is not a gift to the American people, as the Secretary said. It is going directly to Donald Trump. That library will take a decade to build, and so once he leaves the White House until the library is built, he gets to use that plane to fly around all of his billionaire friends while his policies result in millions of Americans losing their health care and having to pay higher costs. That is the definition of corruption.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins Squawk Box on CNBC to Discuss GENIUS Act, Budget Reconciliation, Tariffs

    US Senate News:

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

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on the GENIUS Act: “It’s actually born from a great deal of frustration. We started working on the bill in earnest back in the fall, but we’ve watched what’s happened with the absence of any type of regulatory framework here in America. And what we see is this type of innovative technology moving offshore. The last thing I want to see is that I don’t want to see innovation leaving America. It’s all happening here right now. But what we saw was a lack of regulatory framework, which means a lack of certainty. And if you’re using enforcement actions from the [Securities and Exchange Commission], which was what has been happening for the past four years, to regulate the markets, it creates massive amounts of uncertainty. This will fix it […] It basically establishes a legal and regulatory framework to issue stablecoins here in America. Stablecoin is stable, meaning it’s backed by a certain currency. In this case it’s tied to the U.S dollar, but also, it’s backed either by cash or by short-term U.S. treasury securities. So, it’s entirely safe having that type of regulatory framework and disclosure around it so we know exactly what’s backing up these digital dollars, if you will, is going to be great.”
    Hagerty on the difference between stablecoins and typical cryptocurrency:“This is a payment mechanism, and not to be confused with Bitcoin or something that has a speculative component. This puts us into a digital payment framework. The fastest rails available, much better than the system developed in the seventies and eighties, which is slow. It takes days to clear […] It’s not going to be [backed by] equities. It’s going to be high quality, short-term assets, either short-term U.S. treasuries or cash. I think the majority of it’ll be U.S. treasuries. In fact, what this will do, and the projections are by 2030, this is according to Citibank, stablecoin issuers will be the largest holders of U.S. treasuries in the world.”
    Hagerty on opposition to the GENIUS Act: “No one in the industry is [opposing this legislation] and has to do with my colleagues. And basically, it’s gotten to be a question; we’ll find out tonight. We have broad policy agreement, Democrats and Republicans. The question is, can we get past the partisan politics and allow us to actually have a victory? I would enjoy having a bipartisan victory […] It’s politicians that want to see centralized control. And centralized control, if you want that, buy the digital yuan. I don’t want to see that happen here in America. I think it would be devastating for the dollar’s value as the reserve currency. This will actually perpetuate the dollar’s value as a reserve currency. It will extend that momentum. It’s going to extend demand for U.S. treasuries. There’s a lot to like about this.”
    Hagerty on Moody’s U.S. credit downgrade highlighting the need to pass the budget reconciliation package: “I think it puts more pressure on us as well, over the next couple of weeks, to get this reconciliation bill done in a way that’s responsible and shows real progress against the deficit […] I’d certainly like to see [the bill passed] sooner, and so would my colleagues in the Senate […] [Treasury Secretary] Scott [Bessent’s] perspective on the market is born from his experience. I’ll just say the immediate impact is real, but I think the market’s going to digest this. The other rating agencies [have] already put us at this place, but what I want to see is the reconciliation package come through stimulation of capital investment. That capital investment will be at more jobs, more economic activity, that’s going to be good for revenue growth […] My colleagues in the Senate want to see significant cuts.”
    Hagerty on the ongoing trade negotiations: “I think it’s coming much more clear. What we have is a system that’s a result of—you go back to the post World War II era, we put in place very favorable terms of trade. Countries like those in Europe, Japan, their economies were devastated. But we should have put a GDP-per-capita or a time limit on those. We didn’t. So, we wind up with these gross imbalances. For example, you build a car here in America, sell to Europe, ten percent tariff. They build one there, sell to us, two and a half percent. We’d never do that deal today. So, this sort of reciprocity is sorting itself out. We’ve had a deal struck with the UK; we’re in a good place with China.”
    Hagerty on tariff impacts: “To the extent there is an increase, you’ve got the producer, you’ve got the shipper, you’ve got the middleman, the retailer, and you’ve got the consumer. All of them may bear some of that. But it’s not certain to me at all, that that’s where we’re going to head. We could head to lower tariffs around the board […] The president’s been working very hard with China to make sure we get this thing addressed as quickly as possible.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In 14-Page Letter, Warren Demands IRS Nominee Explain Record of Corruption and Fraud, Support for Tax Policies that Hurt Working Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 19, 2025
    Warren asks former Congressman Billy Long to commit to resisting Trump’s attempts to politicize agency
    “I am deeply concerned about your ability to lead an agency as critical as the IRS and ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share, hardworking Americans can file their taxes and claim refunds, and the agency protects taxpayer privacy and retains its independence and non-partisan integrity.”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, wrote to Billy Long, nominee for Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with concerns over his record of supporting regressive tax policies, his acceptance of “campaign donations” from tax-dodging companies, his work promoting fraudulent tax credits, and more. Long will face senators, including Warren, at his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on May 20, 2025. 
    Long served as a Missouri congressman from 2011 through 2023. His time in Congress ended after an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2022. He was nominated by President Trump to lead the IRS in December 2024, despite his lack of tax policy experience, and his conflicts of interest. 
    Senator Warren concerns include: 
    Long’s potential politicization of the IRS, given President Trump’s promise to use the agency against his political opponents, including, most recently, Harvard University, after the university refused to cave to the Administration’s demands to change their hiring and other practices. Senator Warren asked Long to commit to preserving the agency’s independence and non-partisan stance. 
    “[T]he IRS is a non-political and non-partisan institution, created to meet the needs of the American public, not the political whims of the President…If confirmed, you will be responsible for maintaining that independence…However, I have serious doubts that you will do so,” said Senator Warren. 
    Long’s slim tax policy experience and record of supporting regressive tax policies. Long’s record in Congress includes supporting the abolition of the IRS itself, along with the Fair Tax Act, which would overhaul the entire tax system and replace it with a regressive, 30 percent sales tax. The bill would have also slashed taxes for the rich and increased taxes for lower and middle-income taxpayers.
    “As head of the IRS, you will play an integral role in writing and enforcing tax rules, directly affecting who pays their fair share…I am concerned that your lack of experience in a role directly related to administering the tax code, paired with your focus on cutting taxes for the wealthy as a U.S. Representative, make you a dangerous pick for this position,” wrote Senator Warren. 
    Long accepting donations from tax-dodging companies, posing major ethical concerns and calling into question his fitness for the role of IRS Commissioner. Following his nomination to lead the IRS, companies, including ones tied to an allegedly fraudulent tax credit scheme referred to the IRS for criminal investigation by Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Wyden, donated to Long’s failed 2022 Senate campaign. All of these companies donated to Long more than two years after he had lost the election, and the donations were enough to cover Long’s outstanding personal campaign debt of $130,000. In May 2025, Senator Warren demanded answers from these companies for these donations to Long. 
    “It is implausible to suggest that those were legitimate contributions to an ongoing campaign—one cannot run in the 2022 election more than two years later. Instead, these companies appear to be attempting to earn your indulgence and cash in on those contributions, if you are confirmed, in the form of favorable treatment and regulatory decision-making from the IRS,” said Senator Warren. 
    Long’s record of promoting the fraud-ridden Employee-Retention Tax Credit. After leaving Congress in 2023, Billy Long worked as a tax consultant, repeatedly pushing businesses to file for the ERTC, a refundable tax credit designed to support businesses that struggled as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Long bragged about securing a $3 million faulty refund, and falsely claimed “everybody qualifies” for the credit. In January 2025, Senator Warren pressed Long to explain his involvement in this scheme.  
    “Given the widespread issues caused by ERTC mills and your role in their questionable practices, taxpayers deserve a better understanding of your work promoting these credits,” wrote Senator Warren. 
    Long’s promotion of fake “Tribal Tax Credits.” The Treasury Department and the IRS have confirmed that “tribal tax credits” do not exist. Long is affiliated with firms promoting selling these fake credits, which donated to Long’s failed Senate campaign. 
    Senator Warren asked Long to explain his role in the allegedly fraudulent tax scheme, and whether he would recuse himself from matters related to these fake tax credits. 
    Long’s potential continuation of cuts to the IRS’s Workforce. Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have repeatedly targeted the IRS through mass firings at the agency. The firings have disproportionately targeted people working in collections, despite the IRS collecting 96 percent of federal revenue and the agency already being understaffed. 
    “This presents a serious problem that, if confirmed, you will have to address. A functional IRS is the backbone of a strong federal government,” said Senator Warren. 
    Senator Warren asked Long to be prepared to answer her questions at his hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on May 20, 2025. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Baldwin, Lawmakers Challenge Trump to Close Carried Interest Loophole

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 19, 2025
    Democratic lawmakers agree with Trump goal to close loophole, press Trump to demand Congressional Republicans eliminate it in tax bill
    “You were an avid supporter of closing the carried interest loophole throughout your first campaign and during the first few months of your first administration…So, Mr. President, will you get it done?”
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) led colleagues in sending a letter to President Donald Trump, challenging him to eliminate the carried interest loophole. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) joined in signing the letter.
    “During your first campaign, you claimed that the carried interest loophole was ‘ridiculous’ and ‘unfair to American workers’ and that the individuals reaping the benefits from the loophole were ‘getting away with murder.’ We agree,” wrote the lawmakers. “We write to ask that you follow through on your promise to eliminate the carried interest loophole and demand that Congressional Republicans eliminate it in any tax bill they send to your desk.”
    When private equity managers oversee an investment fund, they receive a 20% share of the profits earned from the funds’ investments, called “carried interest.” This interest is not subject to the ordinary income tax rate of 37%, and is instead taxed at the 20% capital gains rate as long as the investments are held for at least three years. As a result, private equity fund managers who routinely make hundreds of millions of dollars are subject to a tax rate lower than that of an average blue-collar worker.
    “Despite the extraordinary profits that private equity funds are raking in each year, the carried interest loophole allows private equity managers to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, often paying tax rates that are lower than middle-class workers,” wrote the lawmakers.
    Although he was an avid supporter of closing the carried interest loophole during his first term, President  Trump failed to get it done. Now, he has another opportunity.
    “You have once again confirmed your desire to end the loophole, and we understand that last week you asked Speaker Johnson to close the carried interest loophole. Notably, the House Ways and Means Committee defied your wishes and chose to advance legislation that does not eliminate the carried interest loophole,” wrote the lawmakers. “So, Mr. President, will you get it done?”
    The massive loophole costs the federal government tens of billions of dollars in tax revenue, and the private equity industry regularly donates significant sums to politicians sympathetic to their cause in order to make sure the loophole remains open for their profit. The industry has donated almost $600 million to political campaigns over the last decade to maintain a loophole worth upwards of $63 billion over the next 10 years.
    “It is clear that the private equity industry has fought hard to retain these extraordinary tax giveaways. What is less clear is whether you will allow your party to deviate from your commitments, bow to industry demands, and fail to close the loophole for a second time,” the lawmakers wrote to President  Trump.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief Challenging the Closure of Three DHS Oversight Offices

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, as part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security in support of a challenge to the closure of three oversight offices at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These congressionally mandated oversight offices are built into DHS as safeguards to ensure that the public has avenues for raising concerns about invasions of privacy, racial profiling, and human rights abuses committed in the name of protecting the homeland. In their brief, the attorneys general urge the district court to issue a preliminary injunction halting the closure of these offices and restoring staffing and funding. 

    “The Trump Administration does not have the authority to unilaterally dissolve congressionally mandated oversight offices that provide vital, sometimes life-saving channels for individuals and communities to interact with DHS,” said Attorney General Bonta. “The closure of these offices is a devastating loss for California residents who rely on these offices to resolve problems with immigration benefits, address unsafe conditions in detention facilities, and investigate civil liberties violations and human rights abuses by DHS employees. I respectfully urge the court to issue a preliminary injunction and re-open these offices.”

    On March 21, 2025, DHS and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem shut down the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman’s Office, and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman (OIDO). These three oversight offices were created by Congress to exercise oversight of various DHS programs and operations; to prevent and address civil rights violations by agency employees; and to provide direct case assistance to noncitizens, their employers, and their families who interact with DHS. Prior to the closure of these offices, DHS began removing investigative records and other documents about these offices from its website. DHS subsequently announced plans to terminate virtually all their employees, while directing them to immediately cease investigating complaints and performing other statutorily required work. Additionally, DHS publicly acknowledged that it intended to dissolve these offices completely, explaining that it did so because the offices had “obstructed immigration enforcement by adding bureaucratic hurdles.”

    In the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta and the coalition urges the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to grant a preliminary injunction halting the closure of these offices, arguing that:

    • DHS exceeded its statutory and constitutional authority in unilaterally shutting down congressionally mandated offices.
    • The elimination of CIS Ombudsman’s Office will harm residents seeking legal immigration benefits such as work and student visas, work authorizations, and green cards.
    • The dismantling of OIDO will harm individuals detained in immigration facilities who rely on OIDO to examine and take action to protect individuals from unsanitary, inhumane, and dangerous conditions of immigration detention.
    • The closure of CRCL will harm states’ residents, eliminating vital oversight and transparency, eroding protections previously implemented by CRCL such as language access, accessibility for disabled individuals, and confidentiality protections for victims of trafficking and family violence.

    In filing the amicus brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys generals of New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

    A copy of the brief can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kehoe Provides Update on May 16 Severe Storms and Tornadoes

    Source: US State of Missouri

    MAY 19, 2025

    Jefferson City — JEFFERSON CITY – Today, Governor Mike Kehoe provided an update on the recovery efforts following the devastating severe storms and tornadoes that struck on May 16, leaving widespread destruction in St. Louis and the southeast Missouri region. Governor Kehoe and state officials spent Saturday with local officials in St. Louis surveying some of the hardest-hit areas. All levels of government are fully engaged, and recovery efforts continue across the region.

    Ahead of the storm, Governor Kehoe extended the Missouri State of Emergency declaration, which has allowed first responders, road crews, and emergency management officials to move quickly. The Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan remains in effect.

    • Damage Assessments and Local Support: State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) regional coordinators continue working swiftly with local emergency managers to make initial damage assessments in preparation for a federal major disaster declaration request. SEMA staff are coordinating resource requests from local emergency managers for needed supplies, materials, and support services with sheltering, debris clearance, damage assessments, and other needs. For more information on the federal disaster declaration process, visit this link.
    • White House Coordination and Federal Support: Governor Kehoe has been in direct contact with President Donald Trump, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Acting Administrator David Richardson, and Missouri’s Congressional delegation on the situation and discussed state efforts and federal assistance.

    Today, Governor Mike Kehoe also took two actions to expedite federal assistance to Missouri following the severe storms and tornadoes that struck the state on May 16, causing seven deaths and widespread damage in the St. Louis region and areas of southeast Missouri:

    • Governor Kehoe requested that President Donald Trump issue a federal Emergency Declaration for the State of Missouri in response to the May 16 tornadoes and severe storms, which, if approved, would authorize Direct Federal Assistance (DFA) and up to $5 million in immediate funding to the state to support emergency protective measures and debris removal.
    • The Governor also requested that FEMA participate in joint Preliminary Damage Assessments (PDA) of damage to homes and personal property in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County along with Cape Girardeau, Iron, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard, and Wayne counties in southeast Missouri, in preparation for a request by the Governor for a federal Major Disaster Declaration for these areas.

    “Friday’s severe storms and tornadoes caused devastation in the St. Louis region and areas of southeast Missouri, took the lives of seven people, resulted in thousands of homes, businesses, and public infrastructure being damaged or destroyed, and left tens of thousands without power,” Governor Kehoe said. “Local first responders, officials, businesses, and volunteer groups are working around the clock to recover, but the task before us is tremendously large and recovery will not be easy. A federal Emergency Declaration will provide an immediate infusion of needed funds while the joint preliminary damage assessments will allow the normal federal Major Disaster Declaration process to move forward. We appreciate President Trump, Secretary Noem, FEMA Acting Administrator Richardson, and Trump Administration officials for their quick communication and responsiveness to the situation.”

    A federal Emergency Declaration provides federal resources to support state response operations to protect lives, safeguard public health and provide for public safety. It does not delay or affect the process of pursuing a federal Major Disaster Declaration, which would provide Individual Assistance to help homeowners and renters, and Public Assistance, which would reimburse local governments for emergency response costs, debris removal, and repair and replacement of damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure. Individual Assistance and Public Assistance require joint preliminary damage assessments by teams made up of representatives from FEMA, SEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration, and local emergency management officials, extensive documentation, and a federal review process that can take weeks to complete.

    Beginning Wednesday, May 21, six teams will survey and verify documented damage in Cape Girardeau, Iron, New Madrid, St. Louis, Scott, Stoddard, and Wayne counties and the City of St. Louis to determine if Individual Assistance can be requested through FEMA. Individual Assistance allows eligible residents to seek federal assistance for temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other qualifying expenses. Initial damage assessments for roads, bridges and other public infrastructure are ongoing, potentially resulting in a request for PDAs for Public Assistance in the future.

    SEMA continues to coordinate with local officials and volunteer and faith-based partners to identify needs and assist impacted families and individuals. Missourians with unmet needs are encouraged to contact United Way by dialing 2-1-1 or www.211helps.org or the American Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767.

    For additional resources and information about disaster recovery in Missouri, including general clean-up information, housing assistance, and mental health services, visit recovery.mo.gov.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: The Inaugural Address

    Source: The White House

    U.S. Capitol
    Washington, D.C.

    12:10 P.M. EST

    THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you very much, everybody.  (Applause.)  Wow.  Thank you very, very much.

    Vice President Vance, Speaker Johnson, Senator Thune, Chief Justice Roberts, justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and my fellow citizens, the golden age of America begins right now.  (Applause.)  
     
    From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world.  We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer.  During every single day of the Trump administration, I will, very simply, put America first.  (Applause.) 
     
    Our sovereignty will be reclaimed.  Our safety will be restored.  The scales of justice will be rebalanced.  The vicious, violent, and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end.  (Applause.)  
     
    And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous, and free.  (Applause.)

    America will soon be greater, stronger, and far more exceptional than ever before.  (Applause.) 
     
    I return to the presidency confident and optimistic that we are at the start of a thrilling new era of national success.  A tide of change is sweeping the country, sunlight is pouring over the entire world, and America has the chance to seize this opportunity like never before.  
     
    But first, we must be honest about the challenges we face.  While they are plentiful, they will be annihilated by this great momentum that the world is now witnessing in the United States of America. 
     
    As we gather today, our government confronts a crisis of trust.  For many years, a radical and corrupt establishment has extracted power and wealth from our citizens while the pillars of our society lay broken and seemingly in complete disrepair.  
     
    We now have a government that cannot manage even a simple crisis at home while, at the same time, stumbling into a continuing catalogue of catastrophic events abroad. 
     
    It fails to protect our magnificent, law-abiding American citizens but provides sanctuary and protection for dangerous criminals, many from prisons and mental institutions, that have illegally entered our country from all over the world.  
     
    We have a government that has given unlimited funding to the defense of foreign borders but refuses to defend American borders or, more importantly, its own people. 
     
    Our country can no longer deliver basic services in times of emergency, as recently shown by the wonderful people of North Carolina — who have been treated so badly — (applause) — and other states who are still suffering from a hurricane that took place many months ago or, more recently, Los Angeles, where we are watching fires still tragically burn from weeks ago without even a token of defense.  They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country — some of whom are sitting here right now.  They don’t have a home any longer.  That’s interesting.  But we can’t let this happen.  Everyone is unable to do anything about it.  That’s going to change. 
     
    We have a public health system that does not deliver in times of disaster, yet more money is spent on it than any country anywhere in the world.  

    And we have an education system that teaches our children to be ashamed of themselves — in many cases, to hate our country despite the love that we try so desperately to provide to them.  All of this will change starting today, and it will change very quickly.  (Applause.)
     
    My recent election is a mandate to completely and totally reverse a horrible betrayal and all of these many betrayals that have taken place and to give the people back their faith, their wealth, their democracy, and, indeed, their freedom.  From this moment on, America’s decline is over.  (Applause.)
     
    Our liberties and our nation’s glorious destiny will no longer be denied.  And we will immediately restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of America’s government. 
     
    Over the past eight years, I have been tested and challenged more than any president in our 250-year history, and I’ve learned a lot along the way. 
     
    The journey to reclaim our republic has not been an easy one — that, I can tell you.  Those who wish to stop our cause have tried to take my freedom and, indeed, to take my life. 
     
    Just a few months ago, in a beautiful Pennsylvania field, an assassin’s bullet ripped through my ear.  But I felt then and believe even more so now that my life was saved for a reason.  I was saved by God to make America great again.  (Applause.)
     
    Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

    Thank you very much.  (Applause.)
     
    That is why each day under our administration of American patriots, we will be working to meet every crisis with dignity and power and strength.  We will move with purpose and speed to bring back hope, prosperity, safety, and peace for citizens of every race, religion, color, and creed. 
     
    For American citizens, January 20th, 2025, is Liberation Day.  (Applause.)  It is my hope that our recent presidential election will be remembered as the greatest and most consequential election in the history of our country.  
     
    As our victory showed, the entire nation is rapidly unifying behind our agenda with dramatic increases in support from virtually every element of our society: young and old, men and women, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, urban, suburban, rural.  And very importantly, we had a powerful win in all seven swing states — (applause) — and the popular vote, we won by millions of people.  (Applause.) 

    To the Black and Hispanic communities, I want to thank you for the tremendous outpouring of love and trust that you have shown me with your vote.  We set records, and I will not forget it.  I’ve heard your voices in the campaign, and I look forward to working with you in the years to come. 
     
    Today is Martin Luther King Day.  And his honor — this will be a great honor.  But in his honor, we will strive together to make his dream a reality.  We will make his dream come true.  (Applause.)
     
    Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
     
    National unity is now returning to America, and confidence and pride is soaring like never before.  In everything we do, my administration will be inspired by a strong pursuit of excellence and unrelenting success.  We will not forget our country, we will not forget our Constitution, and we will not forget our God.  Can’t do that.  (Applause.)
     
    Today, I will sign a series of historic executive orders.  With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America and the revolution of common sense.  It’s all about common sense.  (Applause.)
     
    First, I will declare a national emergency at our southern border.  (Applause.)
     
    All illegal entry will immediately be halted, and we will begin the process of returning millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.  We will reinstate my Remain in Mexico policy.  (Applause.)
     
    I will end the practice of catch and release.  (Applause.)
     
    And I will send troops to the southern border to repel the disastrous invasion of our country.  (Applause.)
     
    Under the orders I sign today, we will also be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.  (Applause.)
     
    And by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, I will direct our government to use the full and immense power of federal and state law enforcement to eliminate the presence of all foreign gangs and criminal networks bringing devastating crime to U.S. soil, including our cities and inner cities.  (Applause.) 
     
    As commander in chief, I have no higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions, and that is exactly what I am going to do.  We will do it at a level that nobody has ever seen before.
     
    Next, I will direct all members of my cabinet to marshal the vast powers at their disposal to defeat what was record inflation and rapidly bring down costs and prices.  (Applause.) 
     
    The inflation crisis was caused by massive overspending and escalating energy prices, and that is why today I will also declare a national energy emergency.  We will drill, baby, drill.  (Applause.)
     
    America will be a manufacturing nation once again, and we have something that no other manufacturing nation will ever have — the largest amount of oil and gas of any country on earth — and we are going to use it.  We’ll use it.  (Applause.)
     
    We will bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again right to the top, and export American energy all over the world.  (Applause.) 
     
    We will be a rich nation again, and it is that liquid gold under our feet that will help to do it. 
     
    With my actions today, we will end the Green New Deal, and we will revoke the electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto industry and keeping my sacred pledge to our great American autoworkers.  (Applause.)
     
    In other words, you’ll be able to buy the car of your choice.
     
    We will build automobiles in America again at a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago.  And thank you to the autoworkers of our nation for your inspiring vote of confidence.  We did tremendously with their vote.  (Applause.)  
     
    I will immediately begin the overhaul of our trade system to protect American workers and families.  Instead of taxing our citizens to enrich other countries, we will tariff and tax foreign countries to enrich our citizens.  (Applause.)
     
    For this purpose, we are establishing the External Revenue Service to collect all tariffs, duties, and revenues.  It will be massive amounts of money pouring into our Treasury, coming from foreign sources. 
     
    The American dream will soon be back and thriving like never before.  

    To restore competence and effectiveness to our federal government, my administration will establish the brand-new Department of Government Efficiency.  (Applause.)
     
    After years and years of illegal and unconstitutional federal efforts to restrict free expression, I also will sign an executive order to immediately stop all government censorship and bring back free speech to America.  (Applause.)
     
    Never again will the immense power of the state be weaponized to persecute political opponents — something I know something about.  (Laughter.)  We will not allow that to happen.  It will not happen again.
     
    Under my leadership, we will restore fair, equal, and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law.  (Applause.)
     
    And we are going to bring law and order back to our cities.  (Applause.) 
     
    This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life.  (Applause.)  We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based.  (Applause.)  
     
    As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders: male and female.  (Applause.)
     
    This week, I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate with full back pay.  (Applause.)
     
    And I will sign an order to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments while on duty.  It’s going to end immediately.  (Applause.)  Our armed forces will be freed to focus on their sole mission: defeating America’s enemies.  (Applause.)
     
    Like in 2017, we will again build the strongest military the world has ever seen.  We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end — and perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into.  (Applause.)  
     
    My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier.  That’s what I want to be: a peacemaker and a unifier.
     
    I’m pleased to say that as of yesterday, one day before I assumed office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back home to their families.  (Applause.)
     
    Thank you.
     
    America will reclaim its rightful place as the greatest, most powerful, most respected nation on earth, inspiring the awe and admiration of the entire world. 
     
    A short time from now, we are going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America — (applause) — and we will restore the name of a great president, William McKinley, to Mount McKinley, where it should be and where it belongs.  (Applause.)
     
    President McKinley made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent — he was a natural businessman — and gave Teddy Roosevelt the money for many of the great things he did, including the Panama Canal, which has foolishly been given to the country of Panama after the United Spates — the United States — I mean, think of this — spent more money than ever spent on a project before and lost 38,000 lives in the building of the Panama Canal. 
     
    We have been treated very badly from this foolish gift that should have never been made, and Panama’s promise to us has been broken. 
     
    The purpose of our deal and the spirit of our treaty has been totally violated.  American ships are being severely overcharged and not treated fairly in any way, shape, or form.  And that includes the United States Navy.
     
    And above all, China is operating the Panama Canal.  And we didn’t give it to China.  We gave it to Panama, and we’re taking it back.  (Applause.)
     
    Above all, my message to Americans today is that it is time for us to once again act with courage, vigor, and the vitality of history’s greatest civilization. 
     
    So, as we liberate our nation, we will lead it to new heights of victory and success.  We will not be deterred.  Together, we will end the chronic disease epidemic and keep our children safe, healthy, and disease-free.  
     
    The United States will once again consider itself a growing nation — one that increases our wealth, expands our territory, builds our cities, raises our expectations, and carries our flag into new and beautiful horizons.  
     
    And we will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.  (Applause.)
     
    Ambition is the lifeblood of a great nation, and, right now, our nation is more ambitious than any other.  There’s no nation like our nation.
     
    Americans are explorers, builders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and pioneers.  The spirit of the frontier is written into our hearts.  The call of the next great adventure resounds from within our souls. 
     
    Our American ancestors turned a small group of colonies on the edge of a vast continent into a mighty republic of the most extraordinary citizens on Earth.  No one comes close.
     
    Americans pushed thousands of miles through a rugged land of untamed wilderness.  They crossed deserts, scaled mountains, braved untold dangers, won the Wild West, ended slavery, rescued millions from tyranny, lifted billions from poverty, harnessed electricity, split the atom, launched mankind into the heavens, and put the universe of human knowledge into the palm of the human hand.  If we work together, there is nothing we cannot do and no dream we cannot achieve.  
     
    Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback.  But as you see today, here I am.  The American people have spoken.  (Applause.)
     
    I stand before you now as proof that you should never believe that something is impossible to do.  In America, the impossible is what we do best.  (Applause.)
     
    From New York to Los Angeles, from Philadelphia to Phoenix, from Chicago to Miami, from Houston to right here in Washington, D.C., our country was forged and built by the generations of patriots who gave everything they had for our rights and for our freedom.  
     
    They were farmers and soldiers, cowboys and factory workers, steelworkers and coal miners, police officers and pioneers who pushed onward, marched forward, and let no obstacle defeat their spirit or their pride.  
     
    Together, they laid down the railroads, raised up the skyscrapers, built great highways, won two world wars, defeated fascism and communism, and triumphed over every single challenge that they faced. 
     
    After all we have been through together, we stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history.  With your help, we will restore America promise and we will rebuild the nation that we love — and we love it so much.  
     
    We are one people, one family, and one glorious nation under God.  So, to every parent who dreams for their child and every child who dreams for their future, I am with you, I will fight for you, and I will win for you.  We’re going to win like never before.  (Applause.)
     
    Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

    Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

    In recent years, our nation has suffered greatly. But we are going to bring it back and make it great again, greater than ever before. 
     
    We will be a nation like no other, full of compassion, courage, and exceptionalism.  Our power will stop all wars and bring a new spirit of unity to a world that has been angry, violent, and totally unpredictable. 
     
    America will be respected again and admired again, including by people of religion, faith, and goodwill.  We will be prosperous, we will be proud, we will be strong, and we will win like never before. 
     
    We will not be conquered, we will not be intimidated, we will not be broken, and we will not fail.  From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign, and independent nation. 
     
    We will stand bravely, we will live proudly, we will dream boldly, and nothing will stand in our way because we are Americans.  The future is ours, and our golden age has just begun. 
     
    Thank you.  God bless America.  Thank you all.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  

    Thank you.  (Applause.)

    END  12:40 P.M. EST

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: UK and EU sign new trade, fishing and defence deal – what do economists think?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Maria Garcia, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Bath

    The UK and EU have announced a range of historic and wide-ranging new agreements touching on trade, defence and borders.

    Since the 2016 Brexit vote, COVID and conflict have changed the global economic landscape dramatically – with consumers feeling the effects every day. So the time could be ripe for a “reset” of relations between the UK and its largest trading partner.

    Beyond trade, the two sides have agreed to negotiate further on a youth mobility scheme. And in future, travellers with UK passports will be able to use e-gates and avoid lengthy queues in some European countries.

    But the agreement is also fraught with political risk, as opposition parties circle to capitalise on the vexxed question of tighter UK-EU relations. We asked a panel of experts for their analysis of the announcements.

    Fisheries agreement unlocks path to ‘reset’

    Maria Garcia, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, University of Bath

    These were the first steps towards the much-vaunted Labour UK-EU “reset”. The announcement of agreements between the UK and EU covered security, energy and fisheries.

    But the announcement falls short of key UK priorities for the reset, which includes a series of measures to facilitate trade with what is still the UK’s largest trade partner and market. The bloc represented 48% of UK goods exports, 36% of services exports, and 51% of goods imports in 2024.

    Fisheries represent roughly 5% of UK agriculture, fisheries and forestry exports, and 0.03% of the UK economy. That may be a smaller slice of GDP than many people might think. But given the regional concentration of the fishing industry, it is vitally important to those communities. The situation is the same in EU countries.

    Fisheries was a difficult issue to tackle in the negotiations for the 2021 UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement (TCA). Under the TCA, the EU agreed to phase out 25% of its catch share in British waters.

    And there was an understanding on permits to fish species subject to fishing quotas that would allow fleets to fish in each others’ waters. The terms of this were due to expire in June 2026.

    French president Emmanuel Macron insisted that without a deal on fisheries he would not accept other areas of the reset. And North Sea countries joined the call to negotiate a deal on fish. This represented a difficult ask for the UK government, given fierce criticism from opposition parties.

    This agreement settles access to fisheries for the next 12 years. Despite its limited economic impact in absolute terms, the political significance should not be underestimated. It is a clear signal of the Starmer government’s commitment to move forward in the relationship with the EU – particularly relevant at a time of complicated global trading relations.

    Other proposed measures include waiving the requirement to submit safety declarations, agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and a veterinary agreement to facilitate agricultural trade. These matters are included in the newly published memo in which the UK and EU commit to work towards agreement on SPS. However, there is no announcement as to when this might be finalised.

    But the settlement on fisheries means an important hurdle has been overcome on the path towards the reset.

    Big boost for the UK’s top food export

    Mausam Budhathoki, PhD Researcher, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling

    This UK-EU agreement has major implications for the Scottish salmon industry, a vital part of Scotland’s economy. In 2024, salmon exports hit a record £844 million, with France accounting for 55% of the total. Salmon is the UK’s top food export, and as such stands to benefit from the reduced customs checks and paperwork outlined in the deal. This will ease access to EU markets.

    Since Brexit, the industry has faced export delays, higher costs and an estimated loss of £80 million–£100 million in EU sales due to new regulatory hurdles. The UK government projects the agreement could add £9 billion to the economy by 2040, with agrifood sectors like salmon farming gaining. Yet, the deal extends EU fishing rights in UK waters until 2038, which may disrupt marine ecosystems essential to salmon farming.

    Although salmon are farmed in sea pens, they rely on clean, stable marine environments that could be affected by increased fishing activity. The agreement also remains politically sensitive. Future UK-EU disputes or changes could bring revisions, creating uncertainty for long-term planning and investment. While the deal offers clear trade benefits, the industry must balance growth opportunities with environmental and political risks.

    The agreement will ease the export process for UK goods to Europe.
    john abrams/Shutterstock

    Defence deal could boost UK economy as well as security

    Conor O’Kane, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Bournemouth University

    The deal looks like the beginning of a path to closer economic ties between the UK and EU, reversing a trend of UK disengagement from Europe following Brexit.

    Growth in the UK economy has been sluggish in recent years, and exporters are facing uncertainty as a result of recent US trade policies. So any opportunity for UK firms to have easier access to EU markets has to be seen as a positive for economic growth.

    Faster economic growth will be absolutely key for UK chancellor Rachael Reeves to meet her “fiscal rules” (reducing national debt and only borrowing money for investment). It will also help to avoid further cuts to government spending. UK borrowing is currently above what the Office for Budget Responsibility was projecting only a year ago.

    The agreement on security and defence is one area of particular interest where growth is concerned. According to the UK government, the agreement “paves the way” for the participation of UK firms in the EU’s €150 billion (£126 billion) joint procurement programme to rearm Europe.

    The EU is stepping up its security spending in light of the Trump administration’s desire to reduce its support for Nato, and there is real potential for the UK defence industry to benefit.

    Mausam Budhathoki receives funding from the EATFISH project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (Grant 956697)..

    Conor O’Kane and Maria Garcia do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. UK and EU sign new trade, fishing and defence deal – what do economists think? – https://theconversation.com/uk-and-eu-sign-new-trade-fishing-and-defence-deal-what-do-economists-think-257052

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Governors are leading the fight against climate change and deforestation around the world, filling a void left by presidents

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mary Nichols, Distinguished Counsel for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, University of California, Los Angeles

    Forests like the Amazon play vital roles in balancing the environment, from storing carbon to releasing oxygen. Silvestre Garcia-IntuitivoFilms/Stone/Getty Images

    When the annual U.N. climate conference descends on the small Brazilian rainforest city of Belém in November 2025, it will be tempting to focus on the drama and disunity among major nations. Only 21 countries had even submitted their updated plans for managing climate change by the 2025 deadline required under the Paris Agreement. The U.S. is pulling out of the agreement altogether.

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Chinese President Xi Jinping and the likely absence of – or potential stonewalling by – a U.S. delegation will take up much of the oxygen in the negotiating hall.

    You can tune them out.

    Trust me, I’ve been there. As chair of the California Air Resources Board for nearly 20 years, I attended the annual conferences from Bali in 2007 to Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, in 2023. That included the exhilarating success in 2015, when nearly 200 nations committed to keep global warming in check by signing the Paris Agreement.

    In recent years, however, the real progress has been outside the rooms where the official U.N. negotiations are held, not inside. In these meetings, the leaders of states and provinces talk about what they are doing to reduce greenhouse gases and prepare for worsening climate disasters. Many bilateral and multilateral agreements have sprung up like mushrooms from these side conversations.

    This week, for example, the leaders of several state-level governments are meeting in Brazil to discuss ways to protect tropical rainforests that restore ecosystems while creating jobs and boosting local economies.

    What states and provinces are doing now

    The real action in 2025 will come from the leaders of states and provinces, places like Pastaza, Ecuador; Acre and Pará, Brazil; and East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

    While some national political leaders are backing off their climate commitments, these subnational governments know they have to live with increasing fires, floods and deadly heat waves. So, they’re stepping up and sharing advice for what works.

    State, province and local governments often have jurisdiction over energy generation, land-use planning, housing policies and waste management, all of which play a role in increasing or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

    Their leaders have been finding ways to use that authority to reduce deforestation, increase the use of renewable energy and cap and cut greenhouse gas emissions that are pushing the planet toward dangerous tipping points. They have teamed up to link carbon markets and share knowledge in many areas.

    In the U.S., governors are working together in the U.S. Climate Alliance to fill the vacuum left by the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle U.S. climate policies and programs. Despite intense pressure from fossil fuel industry lobbyists, the governors of 22 states and two territories are creating policies that take steps to reduce emissions from buildings, power generation and transportation. Together, they represent more than half the U.S. population and nearly 60% of its economy.

    Tactics for fighting deforestation

    In Ecuador, provinces like Morona Santiago, Pastaza, and Zamora Chinchipe are designing management and financing partnerships with Indigenous territories for protecting more than 4 million hectares of forests through a unique collaboration called the Plataforma Amazonica.

    Brazilian states, including Mato Grosso, have been using remote-sensing technologies to crack down on illegal land clearing, while states like Amapá and Amazonas are developing community-engaged bioeconomy plans – think increased jobs through sustainable local fisheries and producing super fruits like acaí. Acre, Pará and Tocantins have programs that allow communities to sell carbon credits for forest preservation to companies.

    Global Forest Watch uses satellite data to track forest cover change. Green shows areas with at least 30% forest cover in 2000. Pink is forest loss from 2003-2023. Blue is forest gain from 2000 to 2020.
    Global Forest Watch, CC BY

    States in Mexico, including Jalisco, Yucatán and Oaxaca, have developed sustainable supply chain certification programs to help reduce deforestation. Programs like these can increase the economic value in some of foods and beverages, from avocados to honey to agave for tequila.

    There are real signs of success: Deforestation has dropped significantly in Indonesia compared with previous decades, thanks in large part to provincially led sustainable forest management efforts. In East Kalimantan, officials have been pursuing policy reforms and working with plantation and forestry companies to reduce forests destruction to protect habitat for orangutans.

    It’s no wonder that philanthropic and business leaders from many sectors are turning to state and provincial policymakers, rather than national governments. These subnational governments have the ability to take timely and effective action.

    Working together to find solutions

    Backing many of these efforts to slow deforestation is the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force, which California’s then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger helped launch in 2008. It is the world’s only subnational governmental network dedicated to protecting forests, reducing emissions and making people’s lives better across the tropics.

    Today, the task force includes 43 states and provinces from 11 countries. They cover more than one-third of the world’s tropical forests. That includes all of Brazil’s Legal Amazon region, more than 85% of the Peruvian Amazon, 65% of Mexico’s tropical forests and over 60% of Indonesia’s forests.

    From a purely environmental perspective, subnational governments and governors must balance competing interests that do not always align with environmentalists’ ideals. Pará state, for example, is building an 8-mile (13 kilometer) road to ease traffic that cuts through rainforest. California’s investments in its Lithium Valley, where lithium used to make batteries is being extracted near the Salton Sea, may result in economic benefits within California and the U.S., while also generating potential environmental risks to air and water quality.

    Each governor has to balance the needs of farmers, ranchers and other industries with protecting the forests and other ecosystems, but those in the task force are finding pragmatic solutions.

    Pará State Gov. Helder Barbalho arrives for the Amazon Summit in August 2023. Eight South American countries agreed to launch an alliance to fight deforestation in the Amazon at the meeting.
    Evaristo SA / AFP via Getty Images

    The week of May 19-23, 2025, two dozen or more subnational leaders from Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Indonesia and elsewhere are gathering in Rio Branco, Brazil, for a conference on protecting tropical rainforests. They’ll also be ironing out some important details for developing what they call a “new forest economy” for protecting and restoring ecosystems while creating jobs and boosting economies.

    Protecting tropical forest habitat while also creating jobs and economic opportunities is not easy. In 2023, data show the planet was losing rainforest equivalent to 10 soccer fields a minute, and had lost more than 7% since 2000.

    But states and cities are taking big steps while many national governments can’t even agree on which direction to head. It’s time to pay attention more to the states.

    Mary Nichols is affiliated with the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, which cosponsors the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force.

    – ref. Governors are leading the fight against climate change and deforestation around the world, filling a void left by presidents – https://theconversation.com/governors-are-leading-the-fight-against-climate-change-and-deforestation-around-the-world-filling-a-void-left-by-presidents-256988

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –