NewzIntel.com

Category: Trumpism

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Don’t risk Dutton on TAFE

    Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

    15 April 2025

    The 2025 Federal Election will set the path for many aspects of the lives of TAFE students, teachers and educators, but none more pressing than the future of TAFE.

    We have seen landmark improvements to the sector since Anthony Albanese’s Labor government took office. TAFE once again holds its rightful place as the pre-eminent provider of vocational education in Australia. TAFE as a public institution must be supported and fully funded by state, territory and federal governments.

    In the three years since the election of the Albanese government, significant elements of the AEU’s Rebuild with TAFE campaign have been realised:

    • Major new sources of guaranteed funding for TAFE have been delivered realising that at least 70 per cent of total government vocational education funding is allocated to TAFE.

    • The contestable funding model that had marketised vocational education funding for more than a decade is being dismantled.

    • The mammoth task of restoring and investing in the TAFE workforce has begun with new workers employed across Australia and VET Workforce Blueprint projects underway.

    • Hundreds of thousands of students now have access to TAFE because of Free TAFE, many of whom would have been excluded from vocational education due to cost.

    • TAFE is once again recognised as the anchor of the vocational education system.

    • The creation of TAFE Centres of Excellence has recognised the outstanding quality of vocational education provided through TAFE and creates a mechanism for this to be coordinated and shared across Australia.

    • In a further recognition of the quality of TAFE, pilot programs are underway to empower TAFE to self-accredit qualifications at AQF level 5 and above.

    • TAFE workers are more central to decision making about government policy and actively involved.

    • Thousands of TAFE workers have security of employment through industrial relations reform and legislation restricting the indiscriminate use of fixed-term employment.

    • New collective bargaining laws have ensured that TAFE workers in several jurisdictions are the beneficiaries of long-overdue salary increases that have begun to address the imbalance between income and the cost of living.

    • The AEU has been elevated to a primary role as the voice of teachers and educators in TAFE, with critical roles on major new government bodies charged with setting policy and implementing change in vocational education, including Jobs and Skills Australia and the 10 Jobs and Skills Councils.

    The importance of the next government

    We have seen strong support in Parliament from the Australian Greens and members of the crossbench for Free TAFE and for progressive policies. But there’s more to be achieved, especially in terms of staff retention and attraction, boosting infrastructure funding, facilities and resources, and strengthening student support, and to achieve this and ensure that all the gains are not dismantled, the next federal government is key.

    Labor wants to legislate Free TAFE, recognising the value of TAFE and cementing its long-term future. Hundreds of thousands of people in Australia are enrolling in Free TAFE, they are getting the flexibility they need to study, work and raise families without a financial penalty.

    Already, Free TAFE has had a disproportionately positive impact for priority cohorts such as Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people with disability, young people and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

    Impact and reach of Free TAFE

    Data provided by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to the Senate inquiry indicates that more than 568,000 students have so far enrolled in Free TAFE courses, and many of these enrolments have been in national priority industry areas.

    In 2023:

    • Aboriginal Students and Torres Strait Islander Students represented 6.7 per cent of students in Free TAFE compared with 3.5 per cent in the wider VET sector.

    • Students with disability were 7.6 per cent compared with 3.8 per cent.

    • Women were 61.8 per cent compared with 46.2 per cent.

    • Regional and remote students were 35.9 per cent compared with 26.8 per cent.

    This demonstrates that Free TAFE is assisting those that need it most.

    Beyond just these cohorts, Free TAFE programs have also enabled many parents and older Australians to re-enter the workforce, or to make a change in their careers towards an in-demand area.

    Risks of a Coalition government

    Peter Dutton has threatened to end Free TAFE if he’s elected prime minister.

    The Coalition cut $3 billion from TAFE last time they were in government and almost 10,000 jobs were lost. When the current Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley says: “TAFE is just the state-government-run trainer, just like public schools. The Liberal Party believes that you do not value something unless you pay for it” and Liberal MP Luke Howarth says: “We’ve said we won’t do Free TAFE, that’s another $1.5bn saved”, the same cuts are again expected.

    Dutton has not yet announced any policy but is already hinting at sending more federal funds to private RTOs rather than public TAFE. Australia cannot risk the Coalition getting in and stopping its investment in TAFE like they did last time they were in government.

    Also at risk is the suite of industrial reforms won under the Albanese government, which has seen swathes of the TAFE and AMEP workforce transitioned from contract to permanent positions, sector wage increases, allowed multi-employer bargaining, the right to disconnect from work after hours and strengthening workers’ rights across the board. The Coalition has already spoken of dismantling these worker-centred gains in favour of big business.

    Dutton has spent the last three years attacking and undermining teachers. He wants to spend $330 billion on nuclear power stations while investing nothing in building and upgrading public schools and public TAFE.

    TAFE needs a government that supports public education.

    Party Platform Comparisons

    ALP

    Climate action
    Supports:
    • Paris Climate Agreement
    • Net zero emissions by 2050
    • Just Transition to a clean energy
    Actions:
    • Has enshrined into law an emissions cut target of 43 per cent by 2030
    • A carbon cap for the biggest emitters
    • Legislated a Net Zero Authority
    • Restored the role of the Climate Change Authority (CCA)

    Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People
    • Considering pathways to self-determination
    • Supports the states that want to work towards Treaty
    • Believes in community consultation

    Workplace Relations
    • Worker-friendly, inclusive of unions
    • Stronger worker protections
    • Introduced permanency for many workers, stronger protections for casuals, multi-employer bargaining, the right to disconnect
    • Delivered wage increases to ECEC workers
    • Supportive of the Fair Work Commission

    Schools
    • Fully funding public schools
    • Addressing teacher shortages and engaging with AEU
    • Addressing Aboriginal Teacher and Torres Strait Islander Teacher representation and engaging with Community experts

    TAFE
    • Supports Free TAFE and making it permanent
    • Centres TAFE as the anchor of vocational education in Australia
    • Supports Rebuilding TAFE and the TAFE workforce
    • Ongoing rollout of TAFE Centres of Excellence
    • Plans to establish a National TAFE Network to foster cross-country collaboration and innovation

    Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)
    • Three day guarantee – a childcare subsidy for three days a week to all families earning up to $530,000 a year from January 2026
    • Scrapped the activity test
    • $1 billion Building Early Education Fund, which is the next step in creating a universal Early Childhood Education and Care system in Australia
    • 15 per cent pay rises for ECEC teacher and educator wages

    COALITION

    Workplace Relations
    • Unwind Labor’s industrial relations changes
    • Revert to a simple definition of a casual worker
    • Revoke the laws which provide for multi-employer bargaining
    • Remove the “right to disconnect”
    • Curtail unions in workplaces

    Schools
    • Believes government should continue to overfund private schools and that the federal government should only fund private schools
    • Says “children taught the basics – reading, writing and maths – through explicit instruction across our primary education system – and ensuring classrooms are places of education, not indoctrination”, which is the same coded language the Trump government used before banning books and threatening teachers in the USA
    • Has failed to declare their commitment to fully fund public schools

    TAFE
    • Opposes Free TAFE Bill and Free TAFE as a whole

    ECEC
    • Opposes scrapping the activity test

    Climate action
    Against climate action, instead:
    • Make our nation a mining powerhouse
    • Defund the Environmental Defenders Office
    • Slash resource approval timeframes in half
    • Stop the renewable energy roll-out, ramp-up domestic gas production and move to nuclear energy

    Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People
    Against self-determination and Truth-telling, instead choosing punitive responses:
    • A full audit into spending on Aboriginal programs and Torres Strait Islander programs
    • Reintroduce the Cashless Debit Card
    • Bolster law and order in crime-heavy communities
    • A Royal Commission into Sexual Abuse in Indigenous Communities

    GREENS

    TAFE
    • Increase access and opportunity for people with disability and remove barriers to tertiary education for people with disability
    • Abolish all student debt, including HELP, SFSS, and VET, starting 1 July 2025

    ECEC
    • Fix the current broken system
    • Extend free preschool for three-year-olds to at least 15 hours a week

    Climate action
    • No new coal or gas
    • Protect precious water resources
    • Expand publicly owned renewable energy
    • End the billions in handouts to coal, oil and gas corporations
    • End native forest logging
    • Save koalas and wildlife from extinction
    • Create thousands of jobs during renewable transition

    Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islander People
    • Truth, Treaty, Justice for Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
    • Connect kids to Country by funding school-based programs guided by Elders to learn about culture, language, and Country as a means of holistic healing and growth
    • Support language revival and bilingual instruction in schools

    Workplace Relations
    • Defend workers’ rights, lift wages

    Schools
    Make public schools free and fully funded:
    • Fully fund all public schools to 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS)
    • Ensure sustainable funding by indexing public school funding to the higher of the Wage Price Index, Consumer Price Index, or SRS indexation factor
    • Restore $5 billion to the system by closing Morrison-era loopholes
    • Abolish public school fees and charges with an additional allocation of $2.4 billion over the forward estimates
    • Establish a new capital grants fund for public schools to invest in capital works of $1.25 billion in its first year, and then $350 million annually
    • Develop a National Inclusive Education Transition Plan in collaboration with people with disability, families, unions and experts
    • $800 ‘back to school’ payments to parents

    Article by Correna Haythorpe, AEU Federal President
    Originally published in The Australian TAFE Teacher, Autumn 2025

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth Join Padilla, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus In Demanding Trump Remove Military Forces From Los Angeles

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin

    June 14, 2025

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty service members to American cities.

    The letter comes after Trump’s unprecedented move to federalize and deploy the California National Guard without the consent of the California Governor and mobilize U.S. Marine Corps elements, deploying approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest created by the President’s indiscriminate and intentionally inflammatory immigration enforcement raids across the region. The first 200 Marines arrived at the Los Angeles Federal Building yesterday, marking the first time in more than 30 years that the Marines have been deployed in the United States.

    Trump deployed these military personnel without the request or support of Governor Newsom, manufacturing a crisis and repeatedly escalating the conflict in order to create a spectacle. The federalizing of California’s National Guard marked the first time the Guard had been deployed without a Governor’s consent since 1965.

    “We write to express deep concern over your decision to deploy the National Guard and United States Marine Corps to Los Angeles without consultation or coordination with the Governor and local leaders,” wrote the Senators. “This unilateral action represents an alarming abuse of executive authority, continues to inflame the situation on the ground, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles unless their presence is explicitly requested by the Governor and local leaders.”

    The Senators slammed the deployment of military personnel as an abuse of power that undermines state and local leadership, interferes with critical law enforcement operations, and wastes military resources and taxpayer dollars. They also expressed concern for the dangerous precedent Trump’s misguided deployment of military forces could set for mobilizing military personnel to other cities across the country.

    “For the federal government to deploy military forces into American cities without consulting the Governor and local leaders is a dangerous misuse of federal power that has actively disrupted local law enforcement efforts to maintain peace and order,” continued the Senators. “Deploying military personnel should always be a last resort – not a first step – and should only occur when local law enforcement makes a specific request for such federal resources. The decision to use military personnel to create a spectacle has escalated tensions on the ground and created confusion among local law enforcement. Significantly, it also pulls military assets away from other critical missions and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

    “We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent days and to cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or active-duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor,” concluded the Senators. “Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less.”

    In addition to Senator Durbin, Duckworth, and Padilla, the letter to President Trump was signed by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, including Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN.), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Patty Murray (D-WA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    June 14, 2025

    Dear President Trump,

    We write to express deep concern over your decision to deploy the National Guard and United States Marine Corps to Los Angeles without consultation or coordination with the Governor and local leaders. This unilateral action represents an alarming abuse of executive authority, continues to inflame the situation on the ground, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles unless their presence is explicitly requested by the Governor and local leaders.

    For the federal government to deploy military forces into American cities without consulting the Governor and local leaders is a dangerous misuse of federal power that has actively disrupted local law enforcement efforts to maintain peace and order. Deploying military personnel should always be a last resort – not a first step – and should only occur when local law enforcement makes a specific request forsuch federal resources. The decision to use military personnel to create a spectacle has escalated tensions on the ground and created confusion among local law enforcement. Significantly, it also pulls military assets away from other critical missions and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

    We are particularly concerned by the precedent that this ill-conceived deployment of military personnel to Los Angeles sets for other cities and states. Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guards when operating within state borders. As Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said last year when serving as Governor of South Dakota, “If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on states’ rights.”

    We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent days and to cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or active-duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor. Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less.

    Sincerely,

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Demand Trump Administration Resume Processing DACA Applications

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado

    The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently limited a nationwide injunction giving the Administration the green light to resume processing initial DACA applications

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet, and 39 of their Democratic Senate colleagues sent a letter pushing the Trump administration to immediately resume processing applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

    “Noncitizens brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers, are American in every way but their immigration status…Americans overwhelmingly support providing Dreamers a path to citizenship, and in December 2024, President Trump stated that he supported protections for Dreamers to remain in the United States,” the senators wrote.

    “Consistent with this statement, we implore you to use your authority at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing initial applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and provide such protections for Dreamers immediately,” they continued.

    In 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen halted the DACA program, temporarily preventing USCIS from approving any new DACA applications nationwide. While the program was on pause, USCIS continued to accept and hold initial applications. Then, in 2022, the Department of Homeland Security published the DACA Final Rule, which codified the 2012 memorandum establishing the DACA program into regulation.

    Earlier this year, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision limiting Judge Hanen’s injunction to Texas. The ruling gives the Trump administration the green light to resume processing DACA applications until a final decision is made. More than 100,000 initial DACA applications are currently pending with USCIS.

    Senator Hickenlooper has called for a legal pathway for citizenship for DREAMers, as well as TPS recipients, and essential workers, and is a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform.

    Full text of the letter available HERE and below: 

    Dear Acting Director Alfonso-Royals:

    Noncitizens brought to the United States as children, often known as Dreamers, are American in every way but their immigration status. Many only know this country as their home, and they contribute every day to this great nation by paying taxes and serving in critical roles, such as police officers, teachers, and nurses. Americans overwhelmingly support providing Dreamers a path to citizenship,1 and in December 2024, President Trump stated that he supported protections for Dreamers to remain in the United States.2 Consistent with this statement, we implore you to use your authority at United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume processing initial applications for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and provide such protections for Dreamers immediately.

    In 2001, the Dream Act was introduced on a bipartisan basis to provide a path to citizenship to undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children but remained vulnerable to deportation. Since that time, the Dream Act has been introduced in every Congress. It has passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate with bipartisan majority votes, but no version has yet to be signed into law.3 In response to bipartisan pressure to protect Dreamers until Congress acted, 4 the Obama Administration implemented DACA through a policy memorandum in 2012.

    Since 2012, more than 825,000 people have received deferred action pursuant to DACA. Many DACA recipients report that deferred action—and the accompanying employment authorization —allowed them to apply for their first job or move to a higher-paying position more commensurate with their skills.7 Since its establishment, DACA recipients have contributed an estimated $140 billion to the U.S. economy in spending power, and $40 billion dollars in combined federal, payroll, state, and local taxes.

    In 2021, U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Hanen halted the DACA program and enjoined USCIS from approving any new DACA applications nationwide. While the program was enjoined, USCIS has continued to accept and hold initial applications, and in 2022, the Department of Homeland Security published the DACA Final Rule, codifying the 2012 memorandum establishing DACA into regulation. Over 100,000 initial DACA applications are pending with USCIS.

    On January 17, 2025, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision limiting Judge Hanen’s injunction to Texas. 11 Pursuant to the order, in Texas, DACA must resume as a limited program providing protection from deportation for current DACA recipients, but without access to work authorization or driver’s licenses as part of those renewals. This order went into effect on March 11, giving USCIS the authority to start processing initial DACA applications from states other than Texas. However, three months later, USCIS has not made any public announcement on whether new DACA applications will be processed; nor has the agency begun processing initial applications that have been pending with the agency for years.

    We urge you to begin processing these DACA applications immediately, consistent with the Fifth Circuit decision and existing regulations, and to ensure Dreamers eligible to file initial DACA applications can do so as soon as possible.

    Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent matter.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castor, Huffman, Pallone, Booker, Reed, and Padilla Lead Charge to Block Trump’s Dangerous Offshore Drilling Plan

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), U.S. House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) along with 40 Democratic Colleagues in the House and Senate submitted formal comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), opposing any new or expanded offshore oil and gas leasing in the Trump administration’s proposed updates to the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil and gas leasing program.

    In their letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the lawmakers warned that more offshore drilling would threaten our national security, coastal communities, marine life, and local economies – all while handing more giveaways to an industry already sitting on millions of acres of unused leases. They urged the agency to exclude any new leasing in the final program. 

    “New or expanded oil and gas leasing poses risks to the health and livelihoods of our constituents, jeopardizes our tourism, fishing, and recreational economies, and threatens the marine life that inhabits our coastlines” the members wrote. “New, unnecessary lease sales will lock in decades more of pollution and climate impacts from an industry that already holds more than 2,000 offshore leases covering more than 12 million acres of federal water, of which only 469 leases are currently producing oil and gas. The United States is already the number one producer of oil and gas in the world. There is no need for increased leasing, especially when oil and gas companies continue to impose environmental and climate consequences, public health risks, and billions of dollars in cleanup costs on the American people.”

    Members also reminded the Secretary of the long-standing legal restrictions that prevent the administration from offering lease sales in protected areas.

    “We remind the agency that it cannot offer sales in areas permanently protected under Section 12(a) of OCSLA, including areas off the Atlantic coast, the Pacific off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, and portions of the Artic Ocean, including the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea planning areas. In 2017, during his first term, President Trump attempted to reverse President Obama’s Arctic and Atlantic withdrawals, but Judge Sharon Gleason for the District Court of Alaska determined that Section 12(a) does not give the president authority to revoke prior withdrawals. President Trump does not have the authority to reverse the Obama and Biden withdrawals, and his Executive Order of January 2025, which attempts to do so, is unlawful.”

    During his first term, the Trump administration proposed 47 lease sales over five years, covering nearly every U.S. coastline. Fortunately, this program was never finalized due to litigation and strong bipartisan opposition. But now, with the Biden administration’s leasing plan under review and Secretary Burgum signaling that protections may be on the chopping block, lawmakers are raising the alarm once again.

    At a budget hearing last week, Secretary Burgum refused to commit to protecting Florida’s Gulf Coast from new oil and gas leading, saying only that “the administration may be considering opportunities.” This region has long been protected by both bipartisan legislation and administrative withdrawals – protections that are now under threat.

    Read the full letter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney meets with President of the United States Donald J. Trump

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta.

    Prime Minister Carney and President Trump discussed immediate trade pressures and priorities for each country’s workers and businesses, and shared updates on key issues raised in negotiations on a new economic and security relationship between Canada and the U.S.

    To that end, the leaders agreed to pursue negotiations toward a deal within the coming 30 days.

    The Prime Minister and the President also underscored collaboration on further shared priorities at the Summit, such as critical minerals, gun and drug smuggling, illegal drugs, and border security. The leaders also discussed possible areas of co-operation on defence.

    The leaders agreed to remain in regular contact at the G7 Leaders’ Summit and in the weeks ahead, including as NATO leaders convene next week.

    Associated Link

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Implementing the General Terms of The United States of America-United Kingdom Economic Prosperity Deal

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
           By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (section 232), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby determine and order:
         Section 1. Background.  On May 8, 2025, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and I announced the General Terms for the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Economic Prosperity Deal (General Terms).  The General Terms outline a historic trade deal that provides American companies unprecedented access to British markets while bolstering the national security and economy of the United States.  The deal includes billions of dollars of increased market access for American exports, especially for beef, ethanol, and certain other American agricultural exports.  In addition, the United Kingdom will reduce or eliminate numerous non-tariff barriers that unfairly discriminate against American products, hurt the United States’ manufacturing base, and threaten the national security of the United States.     The General Terms provide, among other things, that the United States intends to create an annual quota of 100,000 vehicles for United Kingdom automotive imports at a 10 percent tariff rate.  In the General Terms, the United Kingdom also committed to working to meet American requirements on the security of the supply chains of steel and aluminum products intended for export to the United States and on the nature of ownership of relevant production facilities.  Provided the United Kingdom meets these requirements, the United States intends to promptly construct a quota at most-favored-nation rates for steel and aluminum articles and certain derivative steel and aluminum articles that are products of the United Kingdom in the context of implementing the General Terms.       Furthermore, in the General Terms, the United States and the United Kingdom committed to negotiate significantly preferential treatment outcomes on pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients that are products of the United Kingdom, contingent on the findings of an investigation regarding pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients under section 232, and provided that the United Kingdom complies with certain supply chain security standards.  Finally, in the General Terms, the United States and the United Kingdom committed to adopt a structured, negotiated approach to addressing United States national security concerns regarding sectors that may be subject to future section 232 investigations.  To that end, the United States and the United Kingdom further committed to strengthen aerospace and aircraft manufacturing supply chains by establishing tariff-free bilateral trade in certain aerospace products.     In my judgment, I determine that the following actions are consistent with the national interests of the United States and are necessary and appropriate to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025 (Regulating Imports With a Reciprocal Tariff To Rectify Trade Practices That Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits), as amended, and to reduce or eliminate the threats to national security found in Proclamation 9704 of March 8, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the United States), as amended; Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States), as amended; and Proclamation 9888 of May 17, 2019 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States), as amended.
         Sec. 2.  Automobiles and Automobile Parts.  (a)  I hereby establish an annual tariff-rate quota of 100,000 automobiles as classified in heading 8703 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) and as further specified in note 33(b) to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS for automobiles that are products of the United Kingdom.  Imports of automobiles within the tariff-rate quota that would otherwise be subject to a 25 percent tariff under Proclamation 10908 of March 26, 2025 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States), shall instead be subject to a 7.5 percent tariff, in addition to the most-favored-nation rate for automobiles of 2.5 percent, for a combined tariff of 10 percent.  Imports of automobiles in excess of the tariff-rate quota shall remain subject to the full duties imposed by Proclamation 10908.  The tariff-rate quota shall be adjusted for calendar year 2025 to reflect the General Terms’ operative date of May 8, 2025.  The quota shall be effective 7 days after the publication of this order in the Federal Register.     (b)  Automotive parts specified in note 33(g) to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS that would otherwise be subject to a 25 percent tariff under Proclamation 10908 shall instead be subject to a total tariff of 10 percent (including any most-favored-nation tariffs), provided that they are products of the United Kingdom and are for use in automobiles that are products of the United Kingdom.  This change shall be effective as of the date of the publication of the Federal Register notice described in subsection (c) of this section.      (c)  Within 7 days of the date of publication of this order in the Federal Register, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), in consultation with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), shall publish a notice in the Federal Register modifying the HTSUS consistent with this section, if necessary.      (d)  The Secretary may issue rules, regulations, guidance, and procedures to carry out the provisions of this section.
         Sec. 3.  Aerospace.  (a)  With respect to products of the United Kingdom that fall under the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, the tariffs imposed through the following Presidential actions and subsequent amendments to those actions shall no longer apply, as of the date of publication of the Federal Register notice described in subsection (b) of this section:          (i)    Executive Order 14257, as amended;          (ii)   Proclamation 9704, as amended; and          (iii)  Proclamation 9705, as amended.      (b)  Within 7 days of the date of publication of this order in the Federal Register, the Secretary, in consultation with ITC and CBP, shall publish a notice in the Federal Register modifying the HTSUS consistent with this section, if necessary.     (c)  The Secretary may issue rules, regulations, guidance, and procedures to carry out the provisions of this section.
         Sec. 4.  Aluminum and Steel Articles and Their Derivative Articles.  (a)  At a future time that the Secretary, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, deems appropriate, the Secretary shall design and establish a tariff-rate quota for aluminum articles and derivative aluminum articles that are products of the United Kingdom, consistent with the General Terms and the purpose of this order.  Imports of aluminum articles or derivative aluminum articles that are products of the United Kingdom in excess of the tariff-rate quota established by the Secretary shall remain subject to the duties set forth in Proclamation 9704, as amended.      (b)  At a future time that the Secretary, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, deems appropriate, the Secretary shall design and establish a tariff-rate quota for steel articles and derivative steel articles that are products of the United Kingdom, consistent with the General Terms and the purpose of this order.  Imports of steel articles or derivative steel articles that are products of the United Kingdom in excess of the tariff-rate quota established by the Secretary shall remain subject to the duties set forth in Proclamation 9705, as amended.     (c)  In determining when to establish, whether to establish, and the design of a tariff-rate quota for aluminum and steel articles and their derivatives, the Secretary shall act in a manner consistent with the national interests of the United States and the purpose of this order and shall consider factors he deems appropriate, such as actions taken by the United Kingdom to implement the General Terms and any final agreement entered by the United States and the United Kingdom subsequent to the General Terms; the need to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14257, as amended; and the need to reduce or eliminate the threats to national security found in Proclamation 9704, as amended, and Proclamation 9705, as amended. 
         Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:          (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or          (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.     (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.     (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.     (d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Commerce.
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    June 16, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Implementing the General Terms of The United States of America-United Kingdom Economic Prosperity Deal

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
           By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (section 232), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby determine and order:
         Section 1. Background.  On May 8, 2025, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer and I announced the General Terms for the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Economic Prosperity Deal (General Terms).  The General Terms outline a historic trade deal that provides American companies unprecedented access to British markets while bolstering the national security and economy of the United States.  The deal includes billions of dollars of increased market access for American exports, especially for beef, ethanol, and certain other American agricultural exports.  In addition, the United Kingdom will reduce or eliminate numerous non-tariff barriers that unfairly discriminate against American products, hurt the United States’ manufacturing base, and threaten the national security of the United States.     The General Terms provide, among other things, that the United States intends to create an annual quota of 100,000 vehicles for United Kingdom automotive imports at a 10 percent tariff rate.  In the General Terms, the United Kingdom also committed to working to meet American requirements on the security of the supply chains of steel and aluminum products intended for export to the United States and on the nature of ownership of relevant production facilities.  Provided the United Kingdom meets these requirements, the United States intends to promptly construct a quota at most-favored-nation rates for steel and aluminum articles and certain derivative steel and aluminum articles that are products of the United Kingdom in the context of implementing the General Terms.       Furthermore, in the General Terms, the United States and the United Kingdom committed to negotiate significantly preferential treatment outcomes on pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients that are products of the United Kingdom, contingent on the findings of an investigation regarding pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical ingredients under section 232, and provided that the United Kingdom complies with certain supply chain security standards.  Finally, in the General Terms, the United States and the United Kingdom committed to adopt a structured, negotiated approach to addressing United States national security concerns regarding sectors that may be subject to future section 232 investigations.  To that end, the United States and the United Kingdom further committed to strengthen aerospace and aircraft manufacturing supply chains by establishing tariff-free bilateral trade in certain aerospace products.     In my judgment, I determine that the following actions are consistent with the national interests of the United States and are necessary and appropriate to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025 (Regulating Imports With a Reciprocal Tariff To Rectify Trade Practices That Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits), as amended, and to reduce or eliminate the threats to national security found in Proclamation 9704 of March 8, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the United States), as amended; Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States), as amended; and Proclamation 9888 of May 17, 2019 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States), as amended.
         Sec. 2.  Automobiles and Automobile Parts.  (a)  I hereby establish an annual tariff-rate quota of 100,000 automobiles as classified in heading 8703 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) and as further specified in note 33(b) to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS for automobiles that are products of the United Kingdom.  Imports of automobiles within the tariff-rate quota that would otherwise be subject to a 25 percent tariff under Proclamation 10908 of March 26, 2025 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States), shall instead be subject to a 7.5 percent tariff, in addition to the most-favored-nation rate for automobiles of 2.5 percent, for a combined tariff of 10 percent.  Imports of automobiles in excess of the tariff-rate quota shall remain subject to the full duties imposed by Proclamation 10908.  The tariff-rate quota shall be adjusted for calendar year 2025 to reflect the General Terms’ operative date of May 8, 2025.  The quota shall be effective 7 days after the publication of this order in the Federal Register.     (b)  Automotive parts specified in note 33(g) to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS that would otherwise be subject to a 25 percent tariff under Proclamation 10908 shall instead be subject to a total tariff of 10 percent (including any most-favored-nation tariffs), provided that they are products of the United Kingdom and are for use in automobiles that are products of the United Kingdom.  This change shall be effective as of the date of the publication of the Federal Register notice described in subsection (c) of this section.      (c)  Within 7 days of the date of publication of this order in the Federal Register, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), in consultation with the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), shall publish a notice in the Federal Register modifying the HTSUS consistent with this section, if necessary.      (d)  The Secretary may issue rules, regulations, guidance, and procedures to carry out the provisions of this section.
         Sec. 3.  Aerospace.  (a)  With respect to products of the United Kingdom that fall under the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft, the tariffs imposed through the following Presidential actions and subsequent amendments to those actions shall no longer apply, as of the date of publication of the Federal Register notice described in subsection (b) of this section:          (i)    Executive Order 14257, as amended;          (ii)   Proclamation 9704, as amended; and          (iii)  Proclamation 9705, as amended.      (b)  Within 7 days of the date of publication of this order in the Federal Register, the Secretary, in consultation with ITC and CBP, shall publish a notice in the Federal Register modifying the HTSUS consistent with this section, if necessary.     (c)  The Secretary may issue rules, regulations, guidance, and procedures to carry out the provisions of this section.
         Sec. 4.  Aluminum and Steel Articles and Their Derivative Articles.  (a)  At a future time that the Secretary, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, deems appropriate, the Secretary shall design and establish a tariff-rate quota for aluminum articles and derivative aluminum articles that are products of the United Kingdom, consistent with the General Terms and the purpose of this order.  Imports of aluminum articles or derivative aluminum articles that are products of the United Kingdom in excess of the tariff-rate quota established by the Secretary shall remain subject to the duties set forth in Proclamation 9704, as amended.      (b)  At a future time that the Secretary, in consultation with the United States Trade Representative, deems appropriate, the Secretary shall design and establish a tariff-rate quota for steel articles and derivative steel articles that are products of the United Kingdom, consistent with the General Terms and the purpose of this order.  Imports of steel articles or derivative steel articles that are products of the United Kingdom in excess of the tariff-rate quota established by the Secretary shall remain subject to the duties set forth in Proclamation 9705, as amended.     (c)  In determining when to establish, whether to establish, and the design of a tariff-rate quota for aluminum and steel articles and their derivatives, the Secretary shall act in a manner consistent with the national interests of the United States and the purpose of this order and shall consider factors he deems appropriate, such as actions taken by the United Kingdom to implement the General Terms and any final agreement entered by the United States and the United Kingdom subsequent to the General Terms; the need to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 14257, as amended; and the need to reduce or eliminate the threats to national security found in Proclamation 9704, as amended, and Proclamation 9705, as amended. 
         Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:          (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or          (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.     (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.     (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.     (d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Commerce.
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
    THE WHITE HOUSE,    June 16, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nadler Statement on the Situation In Israel and Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (10th District of New York)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), the most senior Jewish Member of the House of Representatives, issued the following statement regarding the ongoing violence between Israel and Iran:

    “As the violence between Israel and Iran continues, I remain primarily concerned for the welfare of innocent civilians, too many of whom are paying the price for this escalation.

    “As a close ally, the United States must continue to help defend Israel from incoming Iranian attacks. At the same time, the Administration must firmly reject any effort to draw our country into the offensive fighting, and make clear that there is no military solution to this conflict.

    “Let’s be clear: Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. We also must understand that the total elimination of Iran’s nuclear program and the threat it poses to Israel, the United States, and the world, will never be achieved through military means. Further, if Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ultimate goal is regime change in Iran, this offensive is unlikely to achieve this objective.

    “We cannot ignore how we got here: President Trump’s withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) enabled Iran to further enrich uranium, and dealt a blow to American diplomatic stature and global trust. President Trump’s haphazard and erratic foreign policy has led to a significant decline in American standing in the world. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s corruption and desperate attempts at self-preservation have led to his placing his political survival over the safety and security of Israel’s people.

    “All of these factors and more have contributed to the destabilized reality in the Middle East. It is now up to all people of goodwill to demand an end to this horrific violence and for sanity to prevail.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Submit Multistate Comment Letters Opposing DOE’s Use of Accelerated Rulemaking Process to Dismantle Anti-Discrimination Regulations

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta, alongside attorneys general nationwide, submitted four joint comment letters opposing the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s proposal to roll back regulations implementing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These regulations are critical to protecting Californians from sex discrimination, disability discrimination, race and national-origin discrimination, and other forms of discrimination. In the comment letters, the coalition of attorneys general highlight how these unlawful rollbacks would strip away Americans’ rights to equal access, protection from discrimination, and federal accountability—undermining decades of civil rights progress. 

    “Let me be clear: these rollbacks don’t ‘Make America Great Again.’ These rollbacks are nothing less than an attack on the fundamental American promise of equal opportunity,” said Attorney General Bonta. “We will not stand by while the federal government continues to chip away at Americans’ civil rights. That’s why I, alongside attorneys general nationwide, are submitting these comment letters to ensure equity, dignity, and justice for all.” 

    Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 have long served as the bedrock of equity and access in education, healthcare, housing, and other federally funded programs. These laws ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity to access and participate in federally funded programs and activities and that federal funds are not used to subsidize discrimination. The Trump administration’s decision to weaken the regulations strips away decades of protections and government accountability.  

    Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy proposed sweeping rollbacks, where they improperly used a direct final rule, also known as the DFR process, which creates a shortened 30-day period for public comment, and puts the new rule into effect after 60 days unless “significant adverse comments” are received. These rollbacks would eliminate the Department’s regulatory standards that prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, and disability in federally funded programs and buildings-including repealing Section 504 requirement that new or altered DOE facilities constructed by, on behalf of, or for the use of a recipient of DOE comply with federal accessibility standards. Additionally, the DOE has failed to – as required under the Administrative Procedure Act – provide sufficient evidence that this rulemaking is evidence-based and is not arbitrary, capricious, or contrary to constitutional rights. 

    In the comment letters, the coalition of attorneys general write that:  

    • Without implementing regulations under Title VI and Title IX, the Department of Energy and recipients of federal funding would lose key tools for investigating and stopping race, national origin, and sex-based discrimination in federally funded programs and activities. 
    • Repealing Section 504 regulations would eliminate federal requirements for accessible design in buildings constructed by, on behalf of, or for the use of a recipient of DOE, making it difficult for individuals with disabilities to access schools, labs, and energy facilities. 
    • Rolling back these regulations violate the Administrative Procedure Act. 

    Copies of the letters can be found below:

    Significant Adverse Comment and Request for Immediate Withdrawal of Direct Final Rule “Rescinding New Construction Requirements Related to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs or Activities”

    Significant Adverse Comment to Direct Final Rule Rescinding Regulation Related to Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance

    Comment on Direct Final Rule Regarding Rescinding Regulations Related to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs or Activities

     Significant Adverse Comment to Direct Final Rule Rescinding Regulation Related to Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Sports Programs Arising Out of Federal Financial Assistance 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Rochester, Gillibrand Highlights How President Trump’s Big Beautiful Betrayal Will Hurt Rochester Hospitals, Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Proposal Would Increase Costs, Put Rural Hospitals At Risk Of Closure, Threaten Nursing Home Operations, And Make It Harder For Kids To Access Care

    If Bill Passes, An Estimated 40,000 People Would Lose Health Insurance And 25,000 Risk Losing Some Or All SNAP Benefits In Rochester Area Alone

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Jordan Health’s Woodward Center to highlight how President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” will hurt Rochester hospitals and families. If passed, this legislation would cause 10.9 million Americans, including up to 1.5 million New Yorkers, to lose their health insurance coverage by 2034, and 11million would be at risk of having their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated.

    President Trump’s bill would cause Americans to lose their benefits by imposing work requirements on people receiving Medicaid and even stricter, more onerous work requirements for SNAP recipients. This would force families with children and people with disabilities to jump through more hoops to access benefits, and it would generate additional administrative costs for the program. In New York State, work requirements for Medicaid will cost an estimated $510 million annually to administer and enforce.

    President Trump’s bill would also put rural hospitals at risk of closure by limiting the use of provider taxes, which help make it possible for rural and urban hospitals and clinics to remain open and care for patients by providing maternity, emergency, and behavioral health care. Funds collected by states through provider taxes are often directed to health care providers whose costs far exceed base Medicaid payment rates. These providers are typically located in rural America – where health care services are hard to find – or in dense urban areas, where the cost to deliver health care is high and health care providers are serving more people with Medicaid.

    New York-based community health centers, like Jordan Health, that care for every patient who walks through their doors are estimated to lose $300 million annually as a result of this bill. The impact will vary by health center, but losses will range from 6 to 17%, depending on how many of their patients are covered by Medicaid or New York’s Essential Plan.

    Health centers already operate on a shoestring budget, and this kind of funding cut will have very serious consequences. Already, over 60% of health centers have less than 90 days of cash on hand, and more than 20 percent have reduced staffing or closed sites in the past year due to financial strain. Cuts of this magnitude will cause more closures, more staffing cuts, and reduced access for the 2.4 million patients that our New York community health centers serve.

    “President Trump’s bill is not ‘beautiful’—it’s a betrayal of millions of hard-working Americans,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill includes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in history, and it puts the future of our state’s critical rural hospitals in jeopardy. Congress and the Trump administration should be focused on bringing down the cost of essentials, not limiting access to the health care and benefits that so many New Yorkers rely on to get care and put food on the table. This is an unacceptable piece of legislation, and I will do everything in my power to stop it from passing.”

    Gillibrand was joined by Jordan Health President and CEO Dr. Linda Clark and State Senator Jeremy Cooney.

    “Here are the facts: One in every eight people in New York State relies on a Community Health Center for care, and more than 60% of those people are covered by Medicaid, so nearly half of all health center funding comes from Medicaid,” said Rose Duhan, CHCANYS President and CEO. “We’ve done the math – the proposals included in the House bill will cost New York’s community health centers $300M annually. If you limit access to Medicaid, you hurt Community Health Centers and the people they serve. That’s a fact.”

    “We are in a critical state when it comes to the proposed Medicaid program funding cuts and changes,” said Dr. Linda Clark, president and CEO of Jordan Health. “More than 70% of our patients are enrolled in a Medicaid program and depend on funding to cover the costs of their care. Access to high-quality healthcare is not a privilege it is a necessity and impacts our community as a whole.”

    “There is nothing big or beautiful about the Republican tax bill being discussed in Congress,” said State Senator Jeremy Cooney. “Now more than ever, we need to stand up on behalf of our vulnerable populations and make it clear that cutting Medicaid is inhumane and unacceptable. I’m grateful for the leadership of Senator Gillibrand in pushing back against the President’s reckless policies and for defending the values that Rochesterians hold dear.”

    “Medicaid is a lifeline for countless working families, seniors, and vulnerable individuals in our community. The proposed GOP reconciliation bill represents a direct attack on their health, safety, and dignity,” said New York State Assemblyman Demond Meeks. “Cuts to Medicaid would mean fewer doctor visits, longer wait times for care, and the closure of community health centers that serve as the only option for many in underserved areas. This is not just bad policy—it’s a moral failure. I applaud Senator Gillibrand for taking a stand and bringing national attention to what these cuts would mean for real people. We must not allow partisan politics in Washington to strip away essential care from those who need it most.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Rochester, Gillibrand Highlights How President Trump’s Big Beautiful Betrayal Will Hurt Rochester Hospitals, Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
    Proposal Would Increase Costs, Put Rural Hospitals At Risk Of Closure, Threaten Nursing Home Operations, And Make It Harder For Kids To Access Care
    If Bill Passes, An Estimated 40,000 People Would Lose Health Insurance And 25,000 Risk Losing Some Or All SNAP Benefits In Rochester Area Alone
    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Jordan Health’s Woodward Center to highlight how President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” will hurt Rochester hospitals and families. If passed, this legislation would cause 10.9 million Americans, including up to 1.5 million New Yorkers, to lose their health insurance coverage by 2034, and 11million would be at risk of having their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated.
    President Trump’s bill would cause Americans to lose their benefits by imposing work requirements on people receiving Medicaid and even stricter, more onerous work requirements for SNAP recipients. This would force families with children and people with disabilities to jump through more hoops to access benefits, and it would generate additional administrative costs for the program. In New York State, work requirements for Medicaid will cost an estimated $510 million annually to administer and enforce.
    President Trump’s bill would also put rural hospitals at risk of closure by limiting the use of provider taxes, which help make it possible for rural and urban hospitals and clinics to remain open and care for patients by providing maternity, emergency, and behavioral health care. Funds collected by states through provider taxes are often directed to health care providers whose costs far exceed base Medicaid payment rates. These providers are typically located in rural America – where health care services are hard to find – or in dense urban areas, where the cost to deliver health care is high and health care providers are serving more people with Medicaid.
    New York-based community health centers, like Jordan Health, that care for every patient who walks through their doors are estimated to lose $300 million annually as a result of this bill. The impact will vary by health center, but losses will range from 6 to 17%, depending on how many of their patients are covered by Medicaid or New York’s Essential Plan.
    Health centers already operate on a shoestring budget, and this kind of funding cut will have very serious consequences. Already, over 60% of health centers have less than 90 days of cash on hand, and more than 20 percent have reduced staffing or closed sites in the past year due to financial strain. Cuts of this magnitude will cause more closures, more staffing cuts, and reduced access for the 2.4 million patients that our New York community health centers serve.
    “President Trump’s bill is not ‘beautiful’—it’s a betrayal of millions of hard-working Americans,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill includes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in history, and it puts the future of our state’s critical rural hospitals in jeopardy. Congress and the Trump administration should be focused on bringing down the cost of essentials, not limiting access to the health care and benefits that so many New Yorkers rely on to get care and put food on the table. This is an unacceptable piece of legislation, and I will do everything in my power to stop it from passing.”
    Gillibrand was joined by Jordan Health President and CEO Dr. Linda Clark and State Senator Jeremy Cooney.
    “Here are the facts: One in every eight people in New York State relies on a Community Health Center for care, and more than 60% of those people are covered by Medicaid, so nearly half of all health center funding comes from Medicaid,” said Rose Duhan, CHCANYS President and CEO. “We’ve done the math – the proposals included in the House bill will cost New York’s community health centers $300M annually. If you limit access to Medicaid, you hurt Community Health Centers and the people they serve. That’s a fact.”
    “We are in a critical state when it comes to the proposed Medicaid program funding cuts and changes,” said Dr. Linda Clark, president and CEO of Jordan Health. “More than 70% of our patients are enrolled in a Medicaid program and depend on funding to cover the costs of their care. Access to high-quality healthcare is not a privilege it is a necessity and impacts our community as a whole.”
    “There is nothing big or beautiful about the Republican tax bill being discussed in Congress,” said State Senator Jeremy Cooney. “Now more than ever, we need to stand up on behalf of our vulnerable populations and make it clear that cutting Medicaid is inhumane and unacceptable. I’m grateful for the leadership of Senator Gillibrand in pushing back against the President’s reckless policies and for defending the values that Rochesterians hold dear.”
    “Medicaid is a lifeline for countless working families, seniors, and vulnerable individuals in our community. The proposed GOP reconciliation bill represents a direct attack on their health, safety, and dignity,” said New York State Assemblyman Demond Meeks. “Cuts to Medicaid would mean fewer doctor visits, longer wait times for care, and the closure of community health centers that serve as the only option for many in underserved areas. This is not just bad policy—it’s a moral failure. I applaud Senator Gillibrand for taking a stand and bringing national attention to what these cuts would mean for real people. We must not allow partisan politics in Washington to strip away essential care from those who need it most.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Rochester, Gillibrand Highlights How President Trump’s Big Beautiful Betrayal Will Hurt Rochester Hospitals, Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Proposal Would Increase Costs, Put Rural Hospitals At Risk Of Closure, Threaten Nursing Home Operations, And Make It Harder For Kids To Access Care

    If Bill Passes, An Estimated 40,000 People Would Lose Health Insurance And 25,000 Risk Losing Some Or All SNAP Benefits In Rochester Area Alone

    Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Jordan Health’s Woodward Center to highlight how President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” will hurt Rochester hospitals and families. If passed, this legislation would cause 10.9 million Americans, including up to 1.5 million New Yorkers, to lose their health insurance coverage by 2034, and 11million would be at risk of having their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated.

    President Trump’s bill would cause Americans to lose their benefits by imposing work requirements on people receiving Medicaid and even stricter, more onerous work requirements for SNAP recipients. This would force families with children and people with disabilities to jump through more hoops to access benefits, and it would generate additional administrative costs for the program. In New York State, work requirements for Medicaid will cost an estimated $510 million annually to administer and enforce.

    President Trump’s bill would also put rural hospitals at risk of closure by limiting the use of provider taxes, which help make it possible for rural and urban hospitals and clinics to remain open and care for patients by providing maternity, emergency, and behavioral health care. Funds collected by states through provider taxes are often directed to health care providers whose costs far exceed base Medicaid payment rates. These providers are typically located in rural America – where health care services are hard to find – or in dense urban areas, where the cost to deliver health care is high and health care providers are serving more people with Medicaid.

    New York-based community health centers, like Jordan Health, that care for every patient who walks through their doors are estimated to lose $300 million annually as a result of this bill. The impact will vary by health center, but losses will range from 6 to 17%, depending on how many of their patients are covered by Medicaid or New York’s Essential Plan.

    Health centers already operate on a shoestring budget, and this kind of funding cut will have very serious consequences. Already, over 60% of health centers have less than 90 days of cash on hand, and more than 20 percent have reduced staffing or closed sites in the past year due to financial strain. Cuts of this magnitude will cause more closures, more staffing cuts, and reduced access for the 2.4 million patients that our New York community health centers serve.

    “President Trump’s bill is not ‘beautiful’—it’s a betrayal of millions of hard-working Americans,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill includes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in history, and it puts the future of our state’s critical rural hospitals in jeopardy. Congress and the Trump administration should be focused on bringing down the cost of essentials, not limiting access to the health care and benefits that so many New Yorkers rely on to get care and put food on the table. This is an unacceptable piece of legislation, and I will do everything in my power to stop it from passing.”

    Gillibrand was joined by Jordan Health President and CEO Dr. Linda Clark and State Senator Jeremy Cooney.

    “Here are the facts: One in every eight people in New York State relies on a Community Health Center for care, and more than 60% of those people are covered by Medicaid, so nearly half of all health center funding comes from Medicaid,” said Rose Duhan, CHCANYS President and CEO. “We’ve done the math – the proposals included in the House bill will cost New York’s community health centers $300M annually. If you limit access to Medicaid, you hurt Community Health Centers and the people they serve. That’s a fact.”

    “We are in a critical state when it comes to the proposed Medicaid program funding cuts and changes,” said Dr. Linda Clark, president and CEO of Jordan Health. “More than 70% of our patients are enrolled in a Medicaid program and depend on funding to cover the costs of their care. Access to high-quality healthcare is not a privilege it is a necessity and impacts our community as a whole.”

    “There is nothing big or beautiful about the Republican tax bill being discussed in Congress,” said State Senator Jeremy Cooney. “Now more than ever, we need to stand up on behalf of our vulnerable populations and make it clear that cutting Medicaid is inhumane and unacceptable. I’m grateful for the leadership of Senator Gillibrand in pushing back against the President’s reckless policies and for defending the values that Rochesterians hold dear.”

    “Medicaid is a lifeline for countless working families, seniors, and vulnerable individuals in our community. The proposed GOP reconciliation bill represents a direct attack on their health, safety, and dignity,” said New York State Assemblyman Demond Meeks. “Cuts to Medicaid would mean fewer doctor visits, longer wait times for care, and the closure of community health centers that serve as the only option for many in underserved areas. This is not just bad policy—it’s a moral failure. I applaud Senator Gillibrand for taking a stand and bringing national attention to what these cuts would mean for real people. We must not allow partisan politics in Washington to strip away essential care from those who need it most.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Saranac Lake, Gillibrand Highlights The Critical Role Of Rural Health Care In Our Communities, Discusses How The “Big Beautiful Bill” Will Hurt North Country Hospitals And Families

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    Proposal Would Increase Costs, Put Rural Hospitals At Risk Of Closure, Threaten Nursing Home Operations, And Make It Harder For Kids To Access Care

    If Bill Passes, An Estimated 44,000 People Would Lose Health Insurance In the 21st Congressional District

    SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Adirondack Medical Center to highlight how President Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” will hurt North Country hospitals and families. If passed, this legislation would cause 10.9 million Americans, including up to 1.5 million New Yorkers, to lose their health insurance coverage by 2034, and 11million would be at risk of having their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated.

    President Trump’s bill would cause Americans to lose their benefits by imposing work requirements on people receiving Medicaid and even stricter, more onerous work requirements for SNAP recipients. This would force families with children and people with disabilities to jump through more hoops to access benefits, and it would generate additional administrative costs for the program. In New York State, work requirements for Medicaid will cost an estimated $510 million annually to administer and enforce.

    President Trump’s bill would also put rural hospitals at risk of closure by limiting the use of provider taxes, which help make it possible for rural and urban hospitals and clinics to remain open and care for patients by providing maternity, emergency, and behavioral health care. Funds collected by states through provider taxes are often directed to health care providers whose costs far exceed base Medicaid payment rates. These providers are typically located in rural America – where health care services are hard to find – or in dense urban areas, where the cost to deliver health care is high and health care providers are serving more people with Medicaid.

    “President Trump’s bill is not ‘beautiful’—it’s a betrayal of millions of hard-working Americans,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill includes the largest cuts to Medicaid and SNAP in history, and it puts the future of our state’s critical rural hospitals in jeopardy. Congress and the Trump administration should be focused on bringing down the cost of essentials, not limiting access to the health care and benefits that so many New Yorkers rely on to get care and put food on the table. This is an unacceptable piece of legislation, and I will do everything in my power to stop it from passing.”

    Gillibrand was joined by CEO of Adirondack Health Aaron Kramer and CEO of Hudson Headwaters Health Network Dr. Tucker Slingerland.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: IPAA Comments to Interior on Regulatory Issues Impacting Onshore and Offshore Producers

    Source: Independent Petroleum Association of America

    Headline: IPAA Comments to Interior on Regulatory Issues Impacting Onshore and Offshore Producers

    Jun 16, 2025 IPAA Comments to Interior on Regulatory Issues Impacting Onshore and Offshore Producers

    Although there are a variety of important issues facing independent producers on offshore and onshore federal lands, IPAA wants to raise three specific issues the Trump Administration is working on that are of vital importance to our members. These issues are outlined below:

    1. Revising the Risk Management and Financial Assurance Rule for OCS Lease and Grant Obligations

    2. Rescission of the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule

    3. Permitting Reform

    Continue Reading

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What’s the right way to mark Juneteenth? The newest US holiday is confusing Americans

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Timothy Welbeck, Director of the Center for Anti-Racism, Temple University

    Martha Yates Jones and Pinkie Yates sit in a decorated buggy for Juneteenth 1908 in front of Houston’s Antioch Baptist Church. African American Library at The Gregory School, Houston Public Library

    The United States’ newest federal holiday, celebrated annually on June 19, has quickly become its most puzzling one. Four years after President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, Americans have wrestled with what to make of the holiday.

    What is Juneteenth? What is the proper way to celebrate it? Should holiday observers attend barbecues and cookouts? Should Juneteenth’s observance be a day of learning? Is there a way to acknowledge the holiday without misappropriating it?

    This confusion likely emerged because many Americans did not even learn about Juneteenth until around when it became a federal holiday in 2021. Moreover, the Trump administration and state legislatures across the country have further complicated matters with their increased efforts to ban the type of education that led to the national recognition of the holiday in the first place.

    ‘All slaves are free’

    Juneteenth – short for June Nineteenth – recognizes the day in 1865 when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with roughly 2,000 federal troops from the 13th Army Corps. Upon arriving, Granger issued General Order No. 3. The order read:

    “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”

    The official handwritten record of General Order No. 3, preserved at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.
    National Archives

    Granger’s order effectively freed 250,000 enslaved people in the region.

    Though President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the enslaved in all the states that had seceded from the U.S., nearly 2½ years earlier, Texas, a Confederate state, rebelled against it.

    At the time, Texas had a minimal number of Union soldiers to enforce the proclamation’s emancipation of enslaved people residing within Confederate territory. Consequently, many of those enslaved in Texas remained ignorant of the proclamation’s potential impact on their lives, or of the fact the Civil War had functionally ended two months earlier.

    In an interview published in 1941, for example, Laura Smalley of Hempstead, Texas, remembered how her enslaver fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. He returned without informing those whom he enslaved of their freedom. In her interview, she recounted,
    “Old master didn’t tell, you know, they was free … I think now they say they worked them, six months after that.”

    ‘Second Independence Day’

    June 19, 1865, a Monday, changed that.

    The news of emancipation culminated a generations-long struggle for Black people to obtain a modicum of freedom in the U.S.

    For this reason, some refer to Juneteenth as the nation’s second Independence Day. The end of bondage was ostensibly codified in the 13th Amendment ratified later that year.

    Spontaneous Juneteenth celebrations emerged almost immediately. Celebrants referred to the day as “Emancipation Day,” “Freedom Day,” “Juneteenth” and “Jubilee Day.” The latter title alluded to the biblical period following seven sabbatical cycles that resulted in canceling debts and freeing the enslaved.

    Flake’s Bulletin, a weekly, Galveston-based publication, reported on an Emancipation Celebration occurring on Jan. 2, 1866, that included upward of 800 people. A similar gathering occurred in Galveston on June 19, 1866, in what is now the church known as Reedy Chapel AME. Annual celebrations continued, beginning in southeastern Texas, with events such as historical reenactments, parades, picnics, music and speeches.

    Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900, in ‘East Woods’ on East 24th Street in Austin, Texas.
    Mrs. Grace Murray Stephenson, Austin History Center, Austin Public Library

    Legacies of slavery

    While the holiday marked a joyous occasion for some, Juneteenth met early and persistent opposition, particularly in the time following Reconstruction.

    For years, local reporting spoke of Juneteenth, as the Galveston Historical Foundation put it, in a “flagrantly racist nature.” Additionally, the racist stereotyping – “idleness” – in the final sentence of Granger’s order simultaneously illustrated its complicated nature while also “[foreshadowing] that the fight for freedom would continue,” National Archives staffer Michael Davis wrote in 2020.

    Historian Keisha Blain explains, “The enslavement of Black people in the U.S. may have ended but the legacies of slavery still shape every aspect of Black life.”

    Advocates such as Opal Lee, commonly referred to as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” pressed for Juneteenth celebration to continue and, ultimately, for it to be made a national holiday.

    Lee began her advocacy in earnest during the mid-1970s in the Fort Worth, Texas, area. The oldest member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, Lee spearheaded several campaigns to draw attention to Juneteenth. These campaigns included initiatives such as an online petition promoting the holiday’s observance launched in 2019 that amassed 1.6 million signatures.

    In speaking on the significance of Juneteenth, Lee said, “Freedom is for everyone. I think freedom should be celebrated from the 19th of June to the Fourth of July; however, none of us are free until we are all free. We are not free yet, and Juneteenth is a symbol of that.”

    Opal Lee, whose advocacy culminated in Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday in 2021, is known as the ‘grandmother’ of Juneteenth.
    AP Photo/LM Otero

    National recognition

    Because of this advocacy, Juneteenth has grown from relatively obscure regional celebrations to, starting in 2021, a federal holiday.

    The establishment of the holiday was the capstone of initiatives during the racial reckoning. Historians refer to the racial reckoning as the time period beginning in the summer of 2020 until the spring of the following year that witnessed heightened attention to America’s nagging history of racism.

    This reckoning included the historic protests prompted by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

    During this time, numerous institutions, ranging from colleges and universities to major companies, made commitments to racial equity. The recognition of Juneteenth represented a symbolic means to honor those commitments.

    In remarks marking his signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, Biden said, “Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, and a promise of a brighter morning to come.”

    President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021.
    Evan Vucci/AP

    Backtracking on gains

    But within a year, some had already begun to argue the nation had, as community organizer Braxton Brewington wrote, “betrayed the spirit of Jubilee Day.”

    Many of the racial equity commitments made during the racial reckoning quickly vanished within a year or two. Economist William Michael Cunningham revealed American companies pledged $50 billion to racial equity efforts in 2020, yet had only spent $250 million by 2021.

    By the spring of 2025, companies such as Walmart and McDonald’s announced they will discontinue their diversity, equity and inclusion work. Moreover, Walmart will stop using the term altogether. Amazon, Meta and dozens of other large corporations made similar announcements.

    And members of the Trump administration have mounted continual attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion policies and used the term as a politically expedient slur to deride Black people. This is also exacerbated by the Trump administration’s challenges to birthright citizenship, a key right that gave citizenship to the formerly enslaved and later guaranteed important rights to the entire populace.

    This major shift has fueled arguments that the U.S. has regressed from efforts toward racial equity and thus undermined the meaning of Juneteenth. And such backtracking arguably makes some Juneteenth celebrations performative exercises rather than celebrations of true racial equity.

    As one critic asked, has the holiday devolved “into an exploitative and profit-driven enterprise for companies that disregard the true significance of this day to the Black community?”

    All of this has led to increasing confusion over how to commemorate Juneteenth, if at all. Juneteenth is not the first federal holiday with a complicated history. Nevertheless, with other complex holidays, Americans had years to process their misgivings. In short, the nation is still deciding what it means to be free.

    Between 2021-2023, Timothy Welbeck received honorariums from companies like 1Hotels, AON, Aramark, Campbell Soup, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and Merrill Lynch, to deliver invited keynote addresses on subject matter similar to that discussed in this article.

    – ref. What’s the right way to mark Juneteenth? The newest US holiday is confusing Americans – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-right-way-to-mark-juneteenth-the-newest-us-holiday-is-confusing-americans-258436

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MEXICAN NATIONAL SETNENCED FOR FIREARM POSSESSION

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A citizen of Mexico was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and illegal re-entry into the United States after having been removed or deported.

    According to court documents and statements made in open court, Erik Sel Camacho-Lara, 31, was arrested by the Ridgeland Police Department for possession of a stolen firearm after law enforcement responded to a call for service at a Ridgeland residence. The caller was a minor child that resided in the home. The minor child told Ridgeland Police that Camacho-Lara was armed and had possibly discharged a firearm inside the home. Responding officers were forced to make entry into the home to apprehend Camacho-Lara. Officers opened a bedroom door inside the home and heard the slide of a semi-automatic handgun being manipulated. Once inside the room, Officers saw Camacho-Lara holding a handgun. After speaking with officers, Camacho-Lara surrendered the firearm and was taken into custody. The United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations then took over the investigation. A biometric verification confirmed Camacho-Lara’s identity and revealed that he had been previously removed from the United States on April 2, 2013, by United States Border Patrol Agents in Texas. Camacho-Lara pleaded guilty to the charged conduct on March 6, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana, made the announcement.

    The United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Ridgeland Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.

    This case was investigated by the Mississippi Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MEXICAN NATIONAL SETNENCED FOR FIREARM POSSESSION AND ILLEGAL RE-ENTRY AFTER REMOVAL

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – A citizen of Mexico was sentenced today to 12 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and illegal re-entry into the United States after having been removed or deported.

    According to court documents and statements made in open court, Erik Sel Camacho-Lara, 31, was arrested by the Ridgeland Police Department for possession of a stolen firearm after law enforcement responded to a call for service at a Ridgeland residence. The caller was a minor child that resided in the home. The minor child told Ridgeland Police that Camacho-Lara was armed and had possibly discharged a firearm inside the home. Responding officers were forced to make entry into the home to apprehend Camacho-Lara. Officers opened a bedroom door inside the home and heard the slide of a semi-automatic handgun being manipulated. Once inside the room, Officers saw Camacho-Lara holding a handgun. After speaking with officers, Camacho-Lara surrendered the firearm and was taken into custody. The United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations then took over the investigation. A biometric verification confirmed Camacho-Lara’s identity and revealed that he had been previously removed from the United States on April 2, 2013, by United States Border Patrol Agents in Texas. Camacho-Lara pleaded guilty to the charged conduct on March 6, 2025.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi and Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana, made the announcement.

    The United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Ridgeland Police Department.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.

    This case was investigated by the Mississippi Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Reintroduces Legislation to Ban Sanctuary Cities From Receiving Federal Subsidies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty

    Representative Ralph Norman is leading the effort in the U.S. House of Representatives

    WASHINGTON—Last week, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, reintroduced the No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act, legislation to amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to prevent sanctuary cities from receiving federal subsidies. Representative Ralph Norman (R-SC-05) has introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    “Cities that encourage illegal immigration shouldn’t be rewarded with federal housing subsidies,” said Senator Hagerty. “The Trump administration has made it clear that illegal immigration will not be tolerated anywhere in the United States, and cities that defy American sovereignty will face the consequences. I’m pleased to reintroduce this legislation that prevents taxpayer dollars from flowing to sanctuary cities that refuse to enforce the law.”

    “It’s simple: if you’re going to ignore federal immigration law, don’t expect to get a dime of federal tax dollars,” said Congressman Norman. “Sanctuary cities are putting politics over public safety, and that’s unacceptable. This bill makes clear that cities choosing to harbor illegal immigrants at the expense of public safety will no longer receive taxpayer money.”

    Full text of the No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CBS News: Warren urges Trump to “abandon” DOGE’s “inefficient and harmful” agenda in new letter

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    June 12, 2025
    Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is urging President Trump to “reverse course” on the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to cut government spending and agencies, advocating instead that he implement her policy proposals to find savings, days after a split between Elon Musk and the president spilled into public view.
    “Although Mr. Musk and DOGE have failed at achieving their purported savings goals, you could choose to end this government waste while avoiding dangerous cuts to important federal Programs,” Warren wrote in a letter to Mr. Trump along with Rep. Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico, the top Democrat on the House DOGE subcommittee. “You should learn from Elon Musk and DOGE’s mistakes, end your attacks on critical federal programs, and instead act on these recommendations.”
    The Democrats penned a letter to Mr. Trump outlining “DOGE’s failures,” along with recommendations that they said would save the U.S. more than $2 trillion over 10 years. The letter, obtained exclusively by CBS News, follows a letter Warren wrote to Musk in January, outlining the 30 recommendations.
    …
    Read the full story here.
    By:  Kaia HubbardSource: CBS News
    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The New York Times: Elizabeth Warren: Trump Is Right About This One Thing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 12, 2025

    It is possible that hell has frozen over. President Trump and I agree on something very important: Abolish the debt limit.

    The debt limit is a political tool that allows the minority party to threaten economic collapse, forcing Congress to negotiate its demands. It serves no other function. None. It has no impact on spending, and it doesn’t restrain the growth of the national debt.

    I’ve pushed publicly and privately, whether Democrats or Republicans have been in charge, to scrap the debt ceiling permanently. Now, with Mr. Trump’s support, our country could finally get rid of this form of brinkmanship that has, for decades, threatened the stability of our economy.

    …

    Read the full story here.

    By:  Senator Elizabeth Warren
    Source: New York Times

    Previous Article

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Yale Budget Lab Finds Bottom 80% Of U.S. Households Lose Under Trump/Republican Agenda

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

    Last week during a hearing by the House Committee on Ways and Means, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent responded to questioning about deficit effects of H.R. 1 by Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) by suggesting that the bill would be fully offset through revenue raised by tariffs imposed on other countries by President Trump [as Beyer pointed out, this claim did not account for interest on debt accrued by the bill].

    Numerous studies have found that the cost of tariffs, which are taxes on imports, are ultimately paid by consumers in the form of higher prices. Yale Budget Lab subsequently released updated economic analysis studying the combined distributional effects of Trump’s tariffs and H.R. 1 on household incomes, which found that these combined policies “would reduce after-tax-and-transfer incomes on average among the bottom 80 percent of U.S. households,” with the bottom ten percent of households seeing “an average reduction of more than 6.5 percent in incomes, while those at the top would see an increase of nearly 1.5 percent.”

    Beyer, who serves as Senior House Democrat on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, issued the following statement on Yale Budget Lab’s findings:

    “The Trump-Republican agenda is a massive transfer of wealth to the richest people in the country from everyone else, with the middle class losing while billionaires rake in enormous gains. As Trump’s tariffs crush working families with higher prices, Republicans are poised to raise the costs of health care, energy, and housing, while kicking 16 million people off their health care. These stunningly immoral and irresponsible policies inflict the most damage on those with the least ability to absorb it, and severely worsen the danger of both a recession and a fiscal crisis. This is a disaster for our economy and our country.”

    CHART: Combined effects of H.R. 1 as passed in the House and Trump’s tariffs (Chart by Yale Budget Lab, original may be found here):

    The regressive distributional effects are the effect of regressive policy. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities analysis found the House-passed H.R. 1 “would cut health coverage by over $1 trillion and SNAP by nearly $300 billion, while giving the wealthy $1.6 trillion in tax cuts.”

    The net effect of these policies is a drag on the economy. Goldman Sachs finds “the hit to growth from tariffs will more than offset the boost to growth from” the House-passed Republican tax bill.

    Chart via Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CASTOR LEADS FLORIDA DEMOCRATS IN URGING FLORIDA SENATORS TO OPPOSE HOUSE-PASSED BUDGET BILL THAT WOULD INFLICT OUTSIZED HARM ON FLORIDIANS

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

    Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) and other Florida House Democrats urged Florida Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody to oppose the costly and destructive House Republican budget bill, which will strip health coverage away from over 1.8 million Floridians, an outsized impact on hardworking families in the Sunshine State.

    “The House Republican budget bill will hurt the State of Florida, our families and providers more than any other state. We urge you to stand up for Floridians and oppose the bill that inflicts outsized harm on the State of Florida,” wrote the Members.

    Florida, which has the nation’s highest ACA marketplace enrollment, is expected to have an estimated 1.86 million people lose their ACA and Medicaid coverage, over one-tenth of the 16 million individuals expected to lose their coverage nationwide.

    The members continued, “Florida families value and appreciate affordable health coverage. Over 4.7 million Floridians selected an affordable marketplace plan for 2025—almost one-fifth of the nation’s 24.2 million enrollees. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals cannot be discriminated against for a pre-existing condition and cannot be dropped by their health insurance company. Florida’s uninsurance rate has fallen by nearly 10%, and approximately 1 out of 3 Floridians (6.725 million) have enrolled in an ACA marketplace plan since 2014, more than any other state. As a reflection of our entrepreneurial state, 31% of Florida marketplace enrollees are self-employed or small business owners, and nearly 9 out of 10 of those individuals receive premium tax credits. The House Republican budget bill would make ACA coverage much more expensive, drive up premiums and hurt family budgets at a time they are grappling with rising costs. Therefore, we urge you to stand up for Florida families and their pocketbooks and oppose the House Republican budget bill.”

    “We urge you to oppose the House Republican budget bill and instead work on advancing policies that will benefit Floridians’ health, quality of life and pocketbooks.”

    Read the letter here and below:

    The Honorable Rick Scott

    United States Senator

    The Honorable Ashley Moody

    United States Senator

    RE: Reconciliation Budget Inflicts Outsized Harm to Floridians – Urge Opposition to House Republican Budget Bill

    Dear Senators Scott and Moody:

    As fellow members of the Florida delegation, we strongly urge you to oppose the House-passed reconciliation bill that will strip health coverage away from 16 million Americans and raise the cost of health care overall to provide massive tax breaks to billionaires. Importantly, the House Republican budget bill will hurt the State of Florida, our families and providers more than any other state. We urge you to stand up for Floridians and oppose the bill that inflicts outsized harm on the State of Florida.

    Florida families value and appreciate affordable health coverage. Over 4.7 million Floridians selected an affordable marketplace plan for 2025—almost one-fifth of the nation’s 24.2 million enrollees. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), individuals cannot be discriminated against for a pre-existing condition and cannot be dropped by their health insurance company. Florida’s uninsurance rate has fallen by nearly 10%, and approximately 1 out of 3 Floridians (6.725 million) have enrolled in an ACA marketplace plan since 2014, more than any other state. As a reflection of our entrepreneurial state, 31% of Florida marketplace enrollees are self-employed or small business owners, and nearly 9 out of 10 of those individuals receive premium tax credits. The House Republican budget bill would make ACA coverage much more expensive, drive up premiums and hurt family budgets at a time they are grappling with rising costs. Therefore, we urge you to stand up for Florida families and their pocketbooks and oppose the House Republican budget bill.

    If the Senate adopts the bill and takes no action to extend the enhanced ACA premium tax credits, Florida families will be hit hard – over 4 million families will be faced with much higher copayments and premiums. For example, a 60-year-old Florida couple making $82,000 

    would see their annual premiums increase from $6,790 to over $26,248. These added costs will outweigh any tax savings for working families. Similarly, a Florida family of four earning $64,000 per year would see their ACA premiums increase by $2,571, but estimates show a Florida family of four with similar earnings would only benefit from $1,476 in tax breaks. This would leave that family with $1,095 less in their pocketbooks at a time when the cost of living is soaring.

    Along with not extending the essential ACA enhanced premium tax credits, the bill includes many other provisions designed to make it more difficult for individuals to find and keep marketplace coverage – an unnecessary bureaucratic squeeze with cruel results for Floridians. This includes more burdensome paperwork requirements, fewer and shorter enrollment periods, financing changes to cost-sharing reductions and nuisance fees—all provisions whose only effect is to increase the number of people without insurance. The paperwork requirements will be costly for the state to administer, add millions of hours of bureaucracy to the process and lead to individuals being wrongfully terminated, as we saw during Florida’s grim Medicaid redetermination period. According to President Trump’s own analysis, “coverage losses are expected to be concentrated in nine States,” including Florida. Florida, which has the nation’s highest marketplace enrollment, is expected to have an estimated 1.86 million people lose their ACA and Medicaid coverage, over one-tenth of the 16 million individuals expected to lose their coverage nationwide.

    We have also heard from hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers in our districts about the harm that would come from the changes to State-Directed Payments and provider financing. These payments are a lifeline for hospitals that treat a high volume of Medicaid managed care beneficiaries, particularly in a state like Florida that reimburses Medicaid providers at 48 cents for every dollar spent providing care. These initiatives help address the shortfall and bridge the gap for entities operating on razor thin margins. Florida hospitals are currently operating at a shortfall of about $3.67 billion, but without these initiatives, the shortfall would grow to $5.7 billion. The House Republican budget bill would hamstring states and take away an important tool for safety-net providers to care for their patients. Reduced federal Medicaid dollars would also blow a hole in the State of Florida’s budget, leaving the state to make tough decisions about cutting essential but optional benefits like home- and community-based services and mental health care; lowering provider reimbursement rates, exacerbating workforce shortages and leading to rural hospital closures; and/or stripping people from their health coverage.

    The Big Ugly bill includes many other harmful provisions that would slash food assistance benefits, increase energy prices and utility bills, and make college less affordable for Floridians. It is fiscally irresponsible and morally wrong – and adds over $2.4 trillion to the nation’s deficits over the next decade as the GOP turns a blind eye to a balanced budget for decades to come. That’s shameful and will drive higher inflation and widespread economic harm – all because House Republicans aim to give major tax breaks to the wealthy and the well-connected. The health care provisions, however, will especially hurt Floridians more than the citizens of any other state. A healthy and productive America depends upon healthy access to affordable care at the right time, in the right place, and by the right provider for everyone. We urge you to oppose the House Republican budget bill and instead work on advancing policies that will benefit Floridians’ health, quality of life and pocketbooks.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capitol Hill Touts Benefits of the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Across Capitol Hill, members of Congress have been sharing with their constituents the benefits of President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill — which include the largest tax cut in history, higher wages and take-home pay, unprecedented spending cuts, border security, protecting Medicaid, modernizing air traffic control, and much more.
    Here are what some members of Congress are saying around the country:
    Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on FoxNews.com: How Senate Republicans are restoring rule of law and securing border for years to come
    “While Democrat allies riot in the streets, Republicans are standing up for what’s right. Today, as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I released legislative text for my committee’s section of the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ The Judiciary Committee’s provisions provide historic investments to strengthen our nation’s border security and immigration system, support local law enforcement and protect American families from violence like we’ve seen in Los Angeles. The costs of the judiciary section are offset by immigration application fees, which inject accountability into the immigration system.”
    Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) in Cowboy State Daily: Trump’s Border Triumph — Making America Secure Again
    “The Senate is currently developing President Trump’s comprehensive legislative package, known as the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, with the goal of passage by July 4th. This legislation contains several immigration measures that I believe are essential. The bill provides funding to help finish President Trump’s border wall, and gives Border Patrol and ICE agents the resources, technology, and personnel they need to carry out the mission … The American people were clear last November when they voted and told Washington, D.C. that it is time to fully secure our border and deport illegal aliens. These provisions give President Trump and his administration the resources they need to continue delivering on this mandate.”
    Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) on FoxNews.com: Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill will keep our border the most secure it’s been in history
    “Our country stands at a crossroads. Thanks to President Donald Trump’s and Homeland Security Secretary Noem’s leadership, our border is secure. We can either capitalize on this success and give law enforcement the resources it needs to keep it secure by passing the One Big, Beautiful Bill, or we can let the sacrifice of our men and women on the ground be in vain.”
    Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX) in The Hill: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers for America. Now the Senate Must Deliver Too.
    “The House of Representatives has delivered on the American people’s mandate by passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the most comprehensive and consequential set of conservative reforms in our nation’s history. This transformative package includes record levels of tax cuts, spending reduction, and border and national security investment. The ball is now in the Senate’s court and their mission is simple: move the One Big Beautiful Bill to the president’s desk as soon as possible.”
    Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) in the Ritzville Adams County Journal: One ‘Big, Beautiful, Bill Act’ is good for us
    “This legislation delivers on the promises made to the American people: to secure the border, cut taxes, unleash American energy and restore fairness to our economy. It reflects what voters demanded and what I pledged to deliver.”
    Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) in the Lexington Herald-Leader: Senate must pass Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
    “Last month, I voted to pass President Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill. It was an easy vote. The president’s leadership produced a transformational legislative win that will deliver an across-the-board tax cut for families, small businesses, farmers and seniors. On top of tax relief for Kentuckians still rebounding from four years of runaway inflation under Joe Biden, we surge resources to help law enforcement seal the Southern border and provide $1.6 trillion in deficit reduction, all while strengthening Medicaid for Kentuckians who need it. That’s why my message to U.S. senators, especially from Kentucky, is very simple: pass the Big, Beautiful Bill, and send it to the president’s desk. Kentuckians can’t afford to wait, literally.”
    Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI) in The Detroit News: One Big Beautiful Bill corrects nation’s course
    “After the last four years of chaos in America under the Biden-Harris administration — from our overwhelmed southern border to reckless binge spending driving up our national debt — we are one bad decision, or one failure to act, away from catastrophe. That’s why I supported the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which will deliver middle-class tax relief, secure our borders, bolster our defense, and restore the kind of fiscal responsibility that northern Michigan families have practiced for generations. This bill will turn the tide against out-of-control spending and help rescue our economy.”
    Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Floridians benefit from Trump’s tax cuts. We can’t let Democrats take them away.
    “As Floridians begin to recover from the disastrous Biden administration, the last thing they need is a massive tax hike – but that’s exactly what will happen if Congress doesn’t act. That’s why Republicans are working to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and ensure all Americans get the relief they deserve.”
    Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Sens. Ossoff, Warnock should support Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’
    “Georgia’s Democratic U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock should not oppose President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ Act (OBBBA) … the most consequential piece of legislation of our generation. It is a legacy defining bill that I was proud to support when it passed the House of Representatives, advancing President Trump’s full domestic agenda that more than 77 million Americans overwhelmingly voted for back in November. That’s exactly why Ossoff and Warnock are going to fight this bill at every turn.”
    Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) on Indianz.com: Promises Made, Promises Kept
    “Last November, the American people gave their Representatives a mandate when they overwhelmingly voted for change. 77 million Americans made it very clear to us that they wanted a secure border, the resurgence of American energy dominance, lower taxes, a lethal military focused on warfighting instead of woke initiatives, and a more efficient federal government that roots out fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars — essentially the platform that President Trump ran on. Now, less than six months into the new Trump Administration, the United States House of Representatives has already delivered on these promises by passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
    Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA) on RealClearPolitics.com: A Big, Beautiful Win for America
    “The American Dream is back in reach and our nation is back on the path to prosperity, security, and sanity, thanks to the actions of the House of Representatives last week. With the House’s passage of President Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ we’ve shown that it is possible to return common sense to our government, protect taxpayers, secure our borders, and chart a course for national Golden Age – all in one package.”
    Rep. Troy Downing (R-WY) in the Billings Gazette: We are staring down the barrel of a 26% tax increase
    “We are staring down the barrel of a 26% tax increase. If Congress does not take action to extend the President Donald Trump’s tax cuts by Jan. 1 of next year, the average Montana family of four will be out more than $1,400 per year … Put plainly, a vote opposing an extension of the TCJA is a vote to raise taxes — on the rich, on the poor, on you, on your neighbor, on family farms, on the coffee shop down the street. Republicans will prevent Democrats from walking America off a fiscal cliff and avoid this catastrophic tax hike that threatens the financial security of countless Montanans.”
    Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL) in the Tallahassee Democrat: Floridians: Don’t let Washington raise your taxes while you’re not looking
    “Across Florida’s 2nd Congressional District, families have already been stretched thin by rising costs – at the grocery store, at the gas pump, and on their utility bills. The last thing they need is a tax hike. But unless Congress acts soon, that’s exactly what nightmare is coming … Preventing this tax hike should be a bipartisan priority. We owe it to the people we serve to protect and build on the progress our nation has made. Congress must act to make the TCJA permanent – to protect prosperity, promote growth, and preserve the American Dream for the next generation.”
    Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) in Newsweek: House Republicans Are Keeping Our Promises on Border Security
    “Americans are desperate to feel safe in our own neighborhoods, but time and time again dangerous illegal immigrants stole from, raped, assaulted, and killed innocent Americans. It is an honor to sit on the House Homeland Security Committee and help lead the charge to secure our borders and follow through on our public safety promises to our constituents. As a part of Congress’ reconciliation package, Homeland Republicans recently advanced recommendations for border security funding to protect Americans, including over $46 billion to complete the border wall system. This money will provide an additional 701 miles of primary wall, construction of 900 miles of river barriers, and even technology like sensors. A physical border is key to keeping the bad guys out.”
    Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) in the Times-Republican: Iowa families will benefit from President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’
    “The other week, my Republican colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and I passed President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill.’ This legislation contains numerous provisions to put more money back in the pockets of Iowa families … President Trump’s ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ will finally give our families room to breathe again. Estimates suggest that families could see up to $13,300 more in take-home pay, with workers potentially gaining up to $11,600 in higher wages over four years. With provisions that end taxes on tips, overtime, and auto loan interest for American-made cars, working parents can be certain that the extra effort they’re putting in for their families will pay off.”
    Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN) in the Park Rapids Enterprise: One Big Beautiful Bill Act helps families and small businesses
    “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act protects Medicaid for those who need and deserve it … It makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, which have been so beneficial for families and small businesses to grow and thrive, even during the uncertain economic times we experienced over the last several years. This bill permanently doubles the guaranteed standard deduction and expands it by $2,000 for every American family. It creates new tax relief for seniors by adding an additional $4,000 deduction for those aged 65 and over. It makes the 199A small business deduction permanent and expands it to 23% for the over 60,000 small businesses in CD7. It makes the doubled death tax exemption permanent and expands it for the nearly 30,000 farms in CD7, helping families pass down their life’s work to the next generation. It prevents the child tax credit from being cut in half and expands the credit to $2,500 to support 74,460 families in CD7. It eliminates tax on tips and overtime pay. And, it expands 529 education plans so families can make the right choices for them, including using 529s for K-12 education materials, universities or trade schools.”
    Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) in The Washington Times: One Big Beautiful Bill Act provides a flight path for a modern air traffic control system
    “This has been a difficult year for U.S. aviation, with a string of tragic crashes that have killed passengers and crew. Additionally, we have seen reports about failing technology that has caused repeated air traffic control outages and flight delays. Meanwhile, a shortage of certified air traffic controllers has put additional strain on our aviation system. President Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and House Republicans are saying ‘enough is enough,’ and we are doing something about it.”
    Rep. Mark Green (R-NC) on RealClearPolitics.com: ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill’ Will Give Americans a Secure Border
    “The only way for us to make good on our promises to the American people is to codify President Trump’s agenda. Funding common-sense and effective border security measures through reconciliation is the first step.”
    Rep. Michael Guest (R-MS) in The Hill: Investing in border security is a win for every American
    “Since President Trump entered office in January of 2025, our border security has increased, the flow of illegal drugs has dropped dramatically, and illegal border crossings have plummeted to levels not seen in modern history. The success of the Trump administration’s leadership at our borders cannot be underestimated. Now, Congress must do its job to enshrine into law the work of President Trump.”
    Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) on FoxNews.com: GOP fights to protect Medicaid for America’s most vulnerable while Democrats fearmonger
    “It is a top priority of House Republicans to eliminate the waste, fraud and abuse in the programs and safeguard expectant mothers, their children, low-income seniors and especially individuals living with disabilities who are receiving Medicaid coverage. Regrettably, Democrats continue to fuel the falsehood that 13 million individuals will lose healthcare coverage under OBBBA.”
    Rep. Mike Haridopolous (R-FL) in Florida Today: “One Big Beautiful Bill” is a win for Florida families, workers
    “America voted for change last November, and now we’re delivering it. Over the past four years, families have been hit with rising prices, shrinking paychecks, and a government that grew too big and too careless with your tax dollars. People are working harder than ever, but they’re falling behind. That’s not right, and that’s why my Republican colleagues and I in Congress are fighting hard to pass the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ This bill is about getting back to basics: Rewarding work, cutting waste, and putting American families first.”
    Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN) in Newsweek: The Truth About the One Big Beautiful Bill—and What Democrats Don’t Want You to Know
    “Democrats have spent weeks fearmongering about so-called cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security in the One Big Beautiful Bill. Let’s be clear: those talking points are false, and they know it. What this bill actually does is protect and preserve these critical safety net programs for the people they were designed to serve—pregnant women, children, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. It does so by taking on the real problem: waste, fraud, and abuse that have run rampant in our federal health programs for decades.”
    Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) in the Washington Examiner: The ‘big, beautiful bill’ protects Medicaid for those who need it
    “When I came to Congress, I promised the people of Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District that I would pursue practical solutions to improve the lives of working families — without the drama, the headlines, or the politics. That commitment is reflected in the House’s recently passed “big, beautiful bill,” a practical, solutions-oriented piece of legislation that restores accountability to our safety net programs. Unfortunately, misinformation has clouded the bill’s intent, particularly when it comes to Medicaid. Let me set the record straight: This legislation does not cut Medicaid for those who truly need it. Instead, it strengthens the program for low-income families, seniors, and individuals with disabilities while rooting out waste and holding bad actors accountable.”
    Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN) in the Washington Examiner: The ‘one big, beautiful bill’ will restore the American dream
    “Unfortunately, if Congress does not act, many of the provisions in TCJA will expire at the end of the year. If that happens, the average family in my district of West Tennessee will face a nearly 26% tax hike. A child inheriting the family farm could pay such steep estate taxes that he is forced to sell it. And a small business owner competing with larger corporations could see her taxes nearly double. These are not just numbers on a chart in Washington. These provisions affect each and every one of us. If they expire, the American dream could be unachievable for many of our citizens.”
    Rep. Tracey Mann (R-MO) in the Kansas City Star: Kansas deserves the gift of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill
    “I recently voted in the U.S. House of Representatives to advance the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would provide working- and middle-class Americans with the largest tax cuts in history and make long overdue investments into our nation’s border security by funding the completion of the border wall. The legislation would equip Customs and Border Patrol with modern technology to assist with intercepting drug and human smuggling while increasing detention capacity for Immigration and Customs Enforcement as it works to deport violent criminals and gang members who are in the country illegally.”
    Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) in the Pawnee Republican: Building Certainty for Small Businesses
    “For workers and entrepreneurs, few places are as ripe with economic opportunity as the United States of America. Our world-leading workforce, natural resources, educational institutions, rule of law committed to protecting capital investment, and unique features such as deepwater ports providing access to export goods and services to consumers across both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans provide opportunities for American families with few rivals elsewhere around the globe. Despite these economic strengths, there is much we can improve. The federal government remains inefficient, and we must address issues such as our spending-driven budget deficit. Likewise, too many work-capable Americans remain on the sidelines despite millions of good jobs available in our economy. Efforts to address the waste, fraud, and abuse in federally funded programs are vitally important for the fiscal health of our country, as are expanded efforts to help sidelined Americans connect with good jobs. For this reason, the reconciliation bill passed by the House enhances accountability for state administration of federal benefit programs and improves incentives for beneficiaries to find meaningful work.”
    Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) on FoxNews.com: It’s time for Congress to deliver President Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ to his desk
    “Republicans have a historic opportunity to deliver America First tax reforms that reward hard work, bring jobs back home, expand opportunity, and most importantly, rebuild the American economy for hardworking families across our nation. President Donald Trump has been crystal clear about what he wanted Congress to deliver – 77 million Americans raced to the ballot box in support of his vision of lower taxes for those whose sweat moves our economy forward. Now, The One, Big, Beautiful Bill passed by the Ways and Means Committee delivers for those workers. It makes permanent the expiring provisions of the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts, provides additional tax relief to American families, and rewards those who manufacture more at home and hire more American workers. The additional tax relief includes eliminating taxes on tips, overtime pay, and auto loan interest, and delivering tax relief for seniors. Now, Congress must not fail the American people.”
    Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) in Leader Publications: Empowering Hardworking Americans through one big beautiful bill
    “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act represents the culmination of each instructed committee’s plan to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Washington and make vital investments in our communities. In total, the bill would provide over $1.6 billion in savings, allowing the federal government to be better stewards of American tax dollars and put us back on the path to fiscal prosperity.  The cornerstone of the package is the permanent expansion of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which revitalized our economy, unleashing unprecedented job growth and higher wages for working families. Two years after being signed into law, real median household income increased by $5,000 and real wages rose by 4.9%, allowing families to pocket more of their hard-earned money. The reforms also incentivized businesses to invest more in the U.S., ending the decades-long trend of U.S. companies shipping operations overseas.”
    Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) in The Virginian-Pilot: Voting for spending bill kept my word to Virginians
    “Let me set the record straight: I kept my word. I fought for Virginians, and I voted to protect working families, strengthen our safety net, and invest in national security and economic opportunity. Before this bill even came to a vote, I raised my voice publicly to demand protections for the vulnerable. In April, I wrote to House leadership making clear that balancing the budget must not come at the expense of pregnant women, children, seniors or individuals with disabilities. I demanded reforms that would support patients, help new mothers and expand savings for working-class families. This bill delivers on that promise.”
    Rep. Rudy Yakym (R-IN) in Goshen News: The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Explained
    “The One Big Beautiful Bill isn’t some bloated spending package. It doesn’t give any money to the Department of Education, HUD, or the EPA. What it does is straightforward: cut taxes, rein in federal spending, permanently secure the border, and reform welfare. When I’m meeting with Hoosier manufacturers and small business owners or chatting with friends at the grocery store, they’re clear about one thing: They’re taxed enough. And I agree. That’s why it makes the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts permanent. That means bigger paychecks, more investment in America, and strong incentives for companies to stay in the U.S. rather than send jobs overseas.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sherrill Statement On The Indictment of Rep. McIver

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) released the following statement denouncing the Trump Administration’s weaponization of the Justice Department through their indictment of Representative LaMonica McIver (NJ-10):

    “This indictment against Rep. McIver is extreme and purely political. The Trump DOJ is weaponizing the justice system to go after a Member of Congress for doing their job. 

    “Every Member has a constitutional right to conduct oversight. That means the right to inspect a federal facility on behalf of their constituents. I will continue to stand with Rep. McIver because this sham prosecution is an attempt to intimidate Congress and stop us from holding Trump accountable.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill Joins First-Ever Democratic Veterans Caucus Following Growing Threats to Veterans, Military Families, and National Security

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), a former Navy helicopter pilot, joined fellow veterans in Congress to launch the Democratic Veterans Caucus — a new effort formed in response to alarming national security breaches at the Department of Defense, growing global threats, and ongoing attacks on veterans’ health care.

    The launch comes at a critical moment. The Trump Administration and House Republicans are pushing deep cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — programs that serve as lifelines for millions of Americans, including 1.2 million veterans and their families.

    “Veterans served this country with honor and sacrifice. They kept their promises to defend our freedom, and now it’s our duty to keep our promises to them,” said Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. “As a former Navy helicopter pilot, I am disgusted by the Trump Administration’s decision to cut their health care and food assistance to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. It is a betrayal not just of our veterans, but of the values this nation stands for. This caucus was formed to unite those of us who have worn the uniform and to fight back against these attacks. I will continue to stand in the breach to protect the care and services our veterans have earned.”

    Members of the Democratic Veterans Caucus Include:

    • Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA) – Marine Corps Reserve 
    • Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA) – Navy 
    • Rep. Herb Conaway (NJ) – Air Force 
    • Rep. Jason Crow (CO) – Army 
    • Rep. Don Davis (NC) – Air Force 
    • Rep. Chris Deluzio (PA) – Navy 
    • Rep. Jared Golden (ME) – Marine Corps 
    • Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH) – Navy Reserve
    • Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA) – Air Force 
    • Rep. Ted Lieu (CA) – Air Force 
    • Rep. Seth Moulton (MA) – Marine Corps 
    • Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA) – Navy Reserve 
    • Rep. Pat Ryan (NY) – Army 
    • Rep. Bobby Scott (VA) – Army 
    • Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ) – Navy
    • Rep. Mike Thompson (CA) – Army 
    • Rep. Derek Tran (CA) – Army 
    • Rep. Eugene Vindman (VA) – Army 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Sherrill Slams Hegseth for Operational, Managerial, and Budgetary Incompetence at the Department of Defense

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — In a high-profile House Armed Services Committee hearing today, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) confronted Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over what she called “months of dangerous dysfunction and incompetence” at the Department of Defense. 

    Just five months into Hegseth’s tenure, Sherrill laid out a searing case against his operational, managerial, and budgetary failures that are undermining national security and putting our service members at risk. And Hegseth failed to substantively answer any of Rep. Sherrill’s questions.

    Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks. 

    Full remarks, as delivered:

    Rep. Sherrill:
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Secretary Hegseth, Chairman Caine, thank you both for being here today. Mr. Secretary. Your testimony over the last several days before Congress, I’ve heard you speak about all of your supposed accomplishments from your time at the Pentagon. I have to say, your training at Fox News has let you spin months of dangerous dysfunction and incompetence into catchy phrases like restoring the warrior ethos and increasing lethality.

    But the truth is, it’s really been chaos at the Pentagon under your leadership. You’ve clearly shown you’re unable to manage the Department of Defense. But what I’m most concerned about are three specific areas: Your operational incompetence, your managerial incompetence, and your budgetary incompetence. So let’s start with operational. According to news reports, in your first week on the job, you got confused in a National Security Council meeting and thought President Trump wanted you to stop all aid to Ukraine.

    In a well-functioning administration, you would have asked for clarification before making that seismic policy shift, but instead you ordered vital military aid heading to the frontlines turned around, costing the U.S. millions of dollars and depriving Ukrainian soldiers of equipment they needed to fight Russia. So, Mr. Secretary, can you explain how exactly you misunderstood such a monumental presidential order?

    Secretary Hegseth:
    One of many fake news headlines we’ve dealt with.

    Rep. Sherrill:
    So President Trump told you to halt military aid to Ukraine on January 30th.

    Secretary Hegseth:
    As is often the case, highly ideological and very ill informed reporters love to speculate about things they know nothing about, in order to spear President Trump and myself.

    Rep. Sherrill:
    So it sounds like actually the reporting is correct, because I will say if it wasn’t, why if it wasn’t a mistake, why did aid restart only a few days later?

    Secretary Hegseth
    Again, we would take complete issue with what would some call reporting and others call a hatchet job.

    Rep. Sherrill:
    So why did aid start just a couple days later?

    Secretary Hegseth:
    I’m saying the reporting is inaccurate, ma’am.

    Rep. Sherrill:
    I don’t think that’s correct. So let’s move on to your managerial incompetence. I think we can see why you misunderstood the president because you’re obviously misunderstanding my questions. Less than a month into the job, you fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, CQ Brown, and the Chief of Naval Operations, Lisa Franchetti, without cause. And to this day, you still have not provided an adequate explanation for removing them.

    As far as I can tell, you fired CQ Brown because he was Black and Lisa Franchetti because she is a woman. So nearly four months later, we still don’t have a new nominee for Chief of Naval Operations. News reports, and you can contest it, but I’d love to hear your answer, say that you haven’t nominated someone because qualified admirals keep turning the position down.

    So tell me, Mr. Secretary, when will Congress receive your nomination for the next Chief of Naval Operations?

    Secretary Hegseth:
    Ma’am, with all due respect, I would suggest not believing every headline you read.

    Rep. Sherrill:
    With all due respect, I’d like your nomination. When will we see it?

    Secretary Hegseth:
    There is not a single admiral or any military official has turned down a position that’s been–

    Rep. Sherrill:
    So when will we see your nominee for the Chief of Naval Operations?

    Secretary Hegseth:
    In due time, for all the right reasons.

    Rep. Sherrill:
    Again, I think we’ve seen the managerial incompetence. Okay, let’s move on to budgetary incompetence. You missed the deadline to submit a draft defense budget to Congress, which makes it impossible for us to complete our work on the NDAA or appropriations. It makes it more likely you’ll receive delays in funding you need for new acquisitions programs, and other priorities.

    Additionally, you’re blowing money on poorly conceived operations and vanity projects. For President Trump, retrofitting the Qatari jet to serve as Air Force One will cost about $400 million. The parade in DC this weekend will cost upwards of $40 million. Your bombing campaign in Yemen cost about 1 billion, and a week later they were having missile strikes in Israel.

    Your operations in LA will cost tens of millions of dollars, and you claim to be cutting costs at the Pentagon. But all I see are wasted dollars better spent addressing our most pressing threats like China. So, Mr. Secretary, what priorities have you cut funding for to pay for these projects?

    Secretary Hegseth:
    Ma’am, I would just say your list, left off securing the southern border.

    Rep. Sherrill:
    So, Mr. Secretary, what priorities have you cut funding for to pay for these projects?

    Secretary Hegseth:
    We make trade offs every day, and I would imagine what we want to spend on is quite different than what the previous administration did. Changes quickly and they’re reflected in this budget. And we’re very proud of them.

    Rep. Sherrill : 
    I think the American people can see why I’m so concerned about this incompetence. Thank you. And I yield back.
     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DHS Bolsters America’s Supply Chains, Critical Infrastructure, and Domestic Industry Through Arctic ICE Pact

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Representatives from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) met with Canadian and Finnish counterparts as part of a two-day summit for the ongoing Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact), a trilateral agreement to strengthen United States supply chains, increase domestic jobs, and improve U.S. shipbuilding capabilities to defend the American people.

    “ICE Pact is a key component of America’s economic future. President Donald Trump and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem understand that economic security is national security,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “By revitalizing U.S. shipyards, creating jobs, strengthening industrial capabilities, and opening up the Arctic’s vast potential to American businesses, the Trump administration is putting America’s prosperity and security first.” 

    During the two-day event, government leaders discussed with public and private stakeholders plans to advance four key areas: technical expertise and information exchange; workforce development; relations with allies and industry; and research and development.

    The three partner countries concluded this successful meeting with a commitment to reconvene in person by the end of the year for a meeting hosted by the U.S. government.

    Icebreakers are vital for America’s presence in the Arctic, a region increasingly contested by Russia and China due to its growing potential for oil and gas exploration, critical minerals, trade route traffic, fishing, and tourism. Russia maintains the largest icebreaker fleet in the world with 40-plus icebreakers and has made the Arctic its top naval priority; China is rapidly expanding its presence in this field as well and is collaborating with Russia on Arctic expansion efforts.

    In contrast, until last month, the United States Coast Guard operated just two icebreakers. In late May, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis began its maiden voyage to the Arctic. ICE Pact will steer more investment into U.S. industry to boost our icebreaker fleet.

    Plans developed during ICE Pact meetings will allow the U.S., Canada, and Finland to build American-made Arctic and polar icebreakers.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Kim, Garbarino Statement on Preserving SALT Deal

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

    Washington, DC – Today, SALT Caucus R Co-Chairs Reps. Young Kim (CA-40) and Andrew Garbarino (NY-02) released a statement on reports that the Senate Finance Committee maintains a $10,000 SALT cap in its version of reconciliation bill text:

    “We have been crystal clear that the SALT deal we negotiated in good faith with the Speaker and the White House must remain in the final bill. It not only upholds President Trump’s commitment to raise the SALT cap, but has been praised by middle-class families, firefighters, law enforcement, small business owners, and hardworking Americans across the country. Instead of undermining the deal already in place and putting the entire bill at risk, the Senate should work with us to keep our promise of historic tax relief and deliver on our Republican agenda,” said Kim and Garbarino.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Padilla, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus Demand Trump Remove Military Forces from Los Angeles

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 16, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) joined the entire U.S. Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities.

    The letter comes after Trump’s unprecedented move to federalize and deploy the California National Guard without the consent of the California Governor and mobilize U.S. Marine Corps elements, deploying approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest created by the President’s indiscriminate and intentionally inflammatory immigration enforcement raids across the region. The first 200 Marines arrived at the Los Angeles Federal Building yesterday, marking the first time in over 30 years that the Marines have been deployed in the United States.

    Trump deployed these military personnel without the request or support of California Governor Gavin Newsom, manufacturing a crisis and repeatedly escalating the conflict in order to create a spectacle. The federalizing of California’s National Guard marked the first time the Guard had been deployed without a Governor’s consent since 1965.

    “We write to express deep concern over your decision to deploy the National Guard and United States Marine Corps to Los Angeles without consultation or coordination with the Governor and local leaders,” wrote the Senators. “This unilateral action represents an alarming abuse of executive authority, continues to inflame the situation on the ground, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles unless their presence is explicitly requested by the Governor and local leaders.”

    The Senators slammed the deployment of military personnel as an abuse of power that undermines state and local leadership, interferes with critical law enforcement operations, and wastes military resources and taxpayer dollars. They also expressed concern for the dangerous precedent Trump’s misguided deployment of military forces could set for mobilizing military personnel to other cities across the country.

    “For the federal government to deploy military forces into American cities without consulting the Governor and local leaders is a dangerous misuse of federal power that has actively disrupted local law enforcement efforts to maintain peace and order,” continued the Senators. “Deploying military personnel should always be a last resort – not a first step – and should only occur when local law enforcement makes a specific request for such federal resources. The decision to use military personnel to create a spectacle has escalated tensions on the ground and created confusion among local law enforcement. Significantly, it also pulls military assets away from other critical missions and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

    “We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent days and to cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or active-duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor,” concluded the Senators. “Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less.”

    The Trump Administration has consistently utilized excessive force and aggressive tactics in its immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles and across the country. This pattern of unnecessary violence was evident on Thursday when U.S. Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, thrown to the ground and handcuffed after simply trying to ask a question.

    In addition to Senators Murphy and Padilla, the letter to President Trump was signed by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, including Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

    Dear President Trump,

    We write to express deep concern over your decision to deploy the National Guard and United States Marine Corps to Los Angeles without consultation or coordination with the Governor and local leaders. This unilateral action represents an alarming abuse of executive authority, continues to inflame the situation on the ground, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles unless their presence is explicitly requested by the Governor and local leaders.

    For the federal government to deploy military forces into American cities without consulting the Governor and local leaders is a dangerous misuse of federal power that has actively disrupted local law enforcement efforts to maintain peace and order. Deploying military personnel should always be a last resort – not a first step – and should only occur when local law enforcement makes a specific request for such federal resources. The decision to use military personnel to create a spectacle has escalated tensions on the ground and created confusion among local law enforcement. Significantly, it also pulls military assets away from other critical missions and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

    We are particularly concerned by the precedent that this ill-conceived deployment of military personnel to Los Angeles sets for other cities and states. Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guards when operating within state borders. As Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said last year when serving as Governor of South Dakota, “If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on states’ rights.”

    We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent days and to cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or active-duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor. Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement on Reversal of Biden Administration Anti-Dam Agreement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) released the following statement celebrating President Trump’s move to undo the Biden Administration’s flawed “Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative.”

    “President Trump is demonstrating once again his commitment to listening to the will of people on the ground and the sound science that backs the current state of the dams,” said Crapo.  “The Biden Administration’s controversial proposal was doomed from the start.  The flawed initiative ignored congressional authority over the dams, as well as the views and feedback of regional stakeholders and constituents in Idaho.  The path forward for a solution to salmon recovery must include a truly collaborative approach that involves all–including both public and private–stakeholders in the region.”

    Crapo is a co-sponsor of Senator Jim Risch’s (R-Idaho) S. 182, Northwest Energy Security Act, which would require the federal government to ensure the Lower Snake River dams remain operational and continue to support the region’s energy needs.

    On November 21, 2023, Crapo joined Risch and Senator Steve Daines (R-Montana) in sending a letter to then-President Biden voicing severe concerns regarding the Administration’s efforts to breach the dams.

    MIL OSI USA News –