NewzIntel.com

Category: Trumpism

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission File Statement of Interest on Anticompetitive Uses of Common Shareholdings to Discourage Coal Production

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    Today, the Justice Department, joined by the Federal Trade Commission (the “Agencies”) filed a statement of interest in the Eastern District of Texas in the case of Texas et al. v. BlackRock, Inc. The States’ lawsuit—led by the Texas Attorney General—alleges that BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard used their management of stock in competing coal companies to induce reductions in output, resulting in higher energy prices for American consumers. This is the first formal statement by the Agencies in federal court on the antitrust implications of common shareholdings.

    On Jan. 29, President Trump issued Executive Order 14156, declaring a national energy emergency. On April 8, Executive Order 14261 called for “increase[d] domestic energy production, including coal.” As the Agencies’ statement makes clear, protecting competition for coal furthers these policies by enabling the free market to unleash America’s energy security and economic dynamism.

    “The President has declared a national energy emergency, and we need competition in coal production now more than ever to help fuel American energy dominance,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail A. Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “American consumers suffer when institutional asset managers use shareholdings in competing companies to orchestrate output reductions. As the Supreme Court has held, ‘social justifications’ for anticompetitive conduct ‘do not make it any less unlawful.’ We will not hesitate to stand up against powerful financial firms that use Americans’ retirement savings to harm competition under the guise of ESG.”

    Today’s statement of interest explains that while antitrust safe harbors for passive investment protect most index fund investing and beneficial corporate governance advocacy, they do not protect the use of commonly managed stock in competitors to encourage market-wide reductions in output. The statement explains how the law protects typical shareholder behavior, how the States’ complaint alleges an anticompetitive campaign, and how the law should properly be applied to the States’ claims.

    The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court where doing so helps protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. A collection of these statements of antitrust and amicus filings is publicly available on the Division’s website. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Markey Slam Trump’s Science Funding Cuts, Highlights Threats to Research and Innovation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    May 22, 2025
    Senators concerned by Administration’s false claims of progress highlight over 250 NSF grants that have been canceled across Massachusetts.
    “We urge you to work with the NSF and the White House to reverse the Trump Administration’s budget cuts and the chaos the administration has created.”
    Text of Letters (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), detailing their concerns with the ongoing chaos and upheaval at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its impact on the future of scientific research and innovation across the United States and the hundreds of thousands of students, postdocs, and faculty in Massachusetts who depend on federal science funding.
    “As the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Science Advisor to President Trump, you are charged with ‘empowering researchers to achieve groundbreaking discoveries’ and safeguarding U.S. leadership in science,” wrote the senators. “Therefore, we write to seek answers regarding why the Trump administration has led the agency into such disarray.” 
    On February 12, 2025, the senators wrote to the NSF inquiring about the decision-making process for the recent disruptions to grant funding and highlighting their impact on research institutions in Massachusetts. In response, NSF told the senators, “The agency has not stopped working; in fact, we have continued to make significant progress over the past few weeks.”
    But since the beginning of the Trump Administration, the NSF appears to have awarded fewer new grants than in any of the five preceding years and recently announced that it would be returning all approved grant proposals back to the review stage, terminating more than 1,400 existing grants, freezing all new grant funding actions “until further notice,” and capping the percentage of NSF grants that institutions are able to spend on administrative and operational costs like facilities and equipment costs at 15 percent. Amidst all of this, on April 24, 2025, NSF Director Panchanathan abruptly stepped down, leaving the agency without a leader or clear direction.
    A federal judge issued an order to the NSF stopping the agency from freezing, blocking, or terminating grants, calling such actions “unlawful.” However, reports indicate that the NSF has significantly cut back on funding and awards activity—in what appears to be defiance of court orders—reversing years of progress and endangering the nation’s scientific future.
    Over 250 grants have been canceled across Massachusetts, with research institutions scrambling to support students who have lost NSF funding and beginning to reduce incoming class sizes for certain scientific programs by 50% due to funding cuts, pauses, and uncertainty. 
    More upheaval continues to plague the NSF, with Director Panchanathan unexpectedly stepping down, leaving the agency currently leaderless and without a clear future. Reports suggest that Panchanathan’s departure may have been triggered by impending budget and staff reductions at the recommendation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), making working for the NSF untenable. If the reports are accurate, the departure represents a clear rebuke of the Trump Administration’s approach to the U.S. science enterprise.
    “Given the critical importance of NSF funding to scientific progress in Massachusetts and across the country, we urge you to work with the NSF and the White House to reverse the Trump Administration’s budget cuts and the chaos the administration has created,” concluded the senators.
    Due to the troubling reports about the status of the grant review and funding process at the NSF and the impacts these disruptions have on researchers who depend on federal science funding, the senators demand a response by June 3, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Border Security Through Innovative Technology

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced the Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act, which would make Innovation Teams at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) permanent. In 2018, the CBP Commissioner created an Innovation Team to quickly deliver new and effective technologies to strengthen law enforcements’ ability to combat human and drug trafficking at the border.
    “Technology continues to improve our everyday lives, and it’s just common sense that we look for ways innovative technologies can help keep our border communities secure,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I am committed to helping CBP continue developing the tools they need to improve border security operations.”
    “President Trump secured the southern border in his first 30 days. Let’s secure the border forever by using new technology,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Let’s stop fentanyl from flowing into our country.”
    Investments in border security technology will strengthen CBP’s detection and response time to cases of trafficking and illicit border crossings in remote areas. In order to improve upon the development of these Innovation Teams, this legislation would make them a more permanent and long-lasting part of CBP operations, with included Congressional oversight.
    The Emerging Innovative Border Technologies Act will guarantee that these enhanced technologies continue to be developed and implemented by:
    Authorizing the CBP Commissioner to maintain one or more CBP Innovation Teams to research and adapt commercial technologies to assist in border security operations and urgent mission needs;
    Requiring DHS to submit a plan to Congress that assesses the performance parameters and security impacts of potential technologies, as well as the deactivation of former CBP technology;
    Requiring CBP Innovation Teams to make standard operating procedures; and
    Requiring DHS to submit information to Congress that describes CBP Innovation Team activities and operating procedures.
    Read the full bill here. A similar version of this legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressmen Lou Correa (D-Calif.-46) and Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas-08).
    Senator Cortez Masto has been working to crack down on cross-border crime since she was first elected Attorney General, when she worked with Nevada’s Republican governor, law enforcement, and Mexican officials to combat the rise of methamphetamine manufacturing and cross-border drug trafficking. In the Senate, she has authored legislation to combat drug trafficking online that was signed into law, and passed critical legislation to eliminate illegal fentanyl supply chains. She has also introduced legislation to crack down on the deadly fentanyl additive xylazine.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin Questions Executive Branch Nominees During Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    May 22, 2025
    Durbin pushed all nominees to answer if they believe a litigant—including the Executive Branch—can lawfully deny a court order
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned Joseph Edlow, nominated to be the Director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); Elliot Gaiser, nominated to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC); John Squires, nominated to be the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); and Stanley Woodward, nominated to be the Associate Attorney General, during a Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing.
    Durbin began by asking all nominees if they believe a litigant—including officials in the Executive Branch—can lawfully defy a court order.
    Mr. Woodward first responded that he “take[s] issue with the premise of the question insofar as district court judges are not holding that President Trump’s orders are illegal or unconstitutional.”
    Durbin pushed back by saying, “If you would stick to my hypothetical—an approach that is very clear… Do you believe that officials in the Executive Branch can lawfully defy a court order, yes or no?”
    Mr. Woodward responded that he believes President Trump will follow “any” order of the Supreme Court.
    Mr. Squires also said that they believe the Supreme Court orders will be followed by the Executive Branch. However, neither answered as to whether a government official can lawfully defy a lower court order.
    “Do you believe any executive official can lawfully defy a court order?” Durbin asked.
    Mr. Gaiser responded “no.” Mr. Edlow responded to the question by saying, “I am not here [as an] attorney, but I am here as a [nominee].”
    Durbin responded, “I don’t believe you need a law degree to answer this question. Can an executive official lawfully defy a court order?”
    Mr. Edlow responded, “given the speculative nature [to] the question—my answer is the same.”
    “No response. This is what troubles me greatly. If we cannot agree on this as the basic premise of our rule of law, where in the world are we headed as a nation?” Durbin asked.
    Durbin then asked Mr. Squires about President Trump’s executive order against Perkins Coie—a law firm where he was a partner.
    “Mr. Squires, have you ever engaged in dishonest and dangerous activity at a law firm?” Durbin asked to Mr. Squires, and Mr. Squires responded that he has not.
    In March, President Trump issued an executive order targeting Perkins Coie by, among other actions, suspending the firm’s lawyers’ security clearances and terminating its federal contracts.
    “Did you read the position on your former law firm? The executive order claimed that the firm’s ‘dishonest and dangerous activity […] has affected this country for decades.’ The order further alleged that the firm is ‘undermining democratic elections, the integrity of our courts, and honest law enforcement.’ Did you see any evidence of that activity when you were a member of that firm?” Durbin asked.
    After first deflecting the question, Mr. Squires responded, “in my areas of responsibility, I saw no evidence of wrongdoing.”
    Video of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.
    Audio of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here.
    Footage of Durbin’s questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Zinke Strips Public Lands Sales, Votes to Pass the Big Beautiful Bill: Delivers on Tax Relief, Border Security, and the Eliminating of Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

    Source: US Congressman Ryan Zinke (Western Montana)

     (Washington, D.C.) Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke voted to pass the Big Beautiful Bill Act, landmark legislation that delivers sweeping reforms to restore fiscal sanity, cut taxes for hardworking Americans, secure our border, and safeguard entitlements for American citizens, without selling public lands. Read the full bill here.

    “Today I voted to end tax on tips for Montana service workers, lower taxes on Social Security for Montana seniors, and deliver tax relief for ALL Montanans; all while making investments in our national security and safeguarding our public lands,” said Congressman Zinke. “The Big Beautiful Bill is the bold, decisive action Montanans and Americans demanded. No more taxpayer giveaways to illegal immigrants. Just a return to putting America first. The Big Beautiful Bill delivers permanent tax relief with no tax on tips or overtime, lower taxes on Social Security,  protections for entitlements from fraud, and doesn’t sell out our public lands. For Montanans, that means more freedom, more security, and more money in your pocket, while protecting the things that matter most.”

    What the Big Beautiful Bill Delivers:

    No Sale of Public Lands

    Historic, Permanent Tax Relief

    • Cuts taxes for every American.
    • Ends taxes on tips and overtime.
    • Cuts taxes on Social Security benefits, ensuring seniors keep more of what they earned.
    • Puts an average of $5,000 back in the pockets of working families and saves the average Montanan $1,400 per year.
    • Delivers 15%+ tax relief for middle-income earners ($30,000–$80,000).

     Strengthening our Social Safety Net 

    • Preserves Medicaid and SNAP for those who truly need it.
    • Implements 80-hour-per-month work requirements for able-bodied adults aged 19–64.
    • Requires biannual eligibility checks to root out fraud.
    • Kicks 1.4 million illegal immigrants off entitlements.

     Secures the Southern Border with Proven Trump-Era Policies

    • Permanently enacts the border security measures that work:
    • 700 miles of border wall
    • 900 miles of river barriers
    • 629 miles of secondary barriers
    • 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian fencing
    • Funds 18,000+ new frontline enforcement personnel, including:
    • 10,000 new ICE officers
    • 5,000 new Customs officers
    • 3,000 new Border Patrol agents

     Ends Wasteful Spending and Woke Mandates

    • Eliminates failed Biden-era regulations that crippled energy production and economic growth.
    • Repeals green tax credits and climate subsidies that favored Chinese-made technology over American energy.
    • Defunds radical programs—like DEI initiatives, climate extremism, and taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for minors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM’s remarks at press conference on Diego Garcia: 22 May 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    PM’s remarks at press conference on Diego Garcia: 22 May 2025

    PM’s remarks at his press conference on Diego Garcia.

    A few moments ago…

    I signed a deal…

    To secure the joint UK-US base on Diego Garcia.

    This is absolutely vital…

    For our defence and intelligence…

    And therefore –

    For the safety and security of the British people.

    The full assessment of why this is so important is highly classified.

    But I want to speak as frankly as I can. 

    The strategic location of this base is of the utmost significance to Britain.

    From deploying aircraft to defeat terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan…

    To anticipating threats in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific…

    The base is right at the foundation of our security and safety at home.

    It has helped us to…

    Disrupt threats to the UK…

    Support counter terror operations against Islamic State…

    And to reduce the risk to brave British and American servicemen and servicewomen. 

    The base will help protect the safe passage of our Carrier Strike Group as it goes through the Middle East.

    It enables rapid deployment across the Middle East, East Africa, and South Asia…

    It helps combat some of the most challenging threats we face,

    Including from terrorism and hostile states…

    And its location creates real military advantage across the Indo-Pacific.

    The base gives the UK and the US access to unique and vital capabilities – which benefit us directly.

    Many of these capabilities are secret, but they include…

    Airfield and deep-water port facilities…

    Facilities that support the worldwide operation of GPS…

    And the monitoring of objects in the earth’s orbit…

    And equipment to monitor the nuclear test ban treaty.

    The base is one of the most significant contributions we make to our security relationship with the United States –

    Which is critical for keeping Britain safe.

    Almost everything we do from the base is in partnership with the US.

    President Trump has welcomed the deal –

    Along with other allies.

    Because they see the strategic importance of this base –

    And that we cannot cede this ground to others who would seek to do us harm.

    And let me be clear – 

    We had to act now…

    Because the base was under threat.

    The courts have already made decisions which undermine our position.

    And if Mauritius takes us to court again…

    The UK’s longstanding legal view…

    Is that we would not have a realistic prospect of success…

    And would likely face a Provisional Measures Order within a matter of weeks.

    But this is not just about international law.

    This is about the operation of the base.

    Even if we chose to ignore judgments made against us…

    International organisations and other countries would act on them.

    And that would undermine the operation of the base –

    Causing us to lose this unique capability.

    One example of this is the electromagnetic spectrum.

    Countries have the right to manage this spectrum as they wish within their borders…

    A right that’s recognised in regulations…

    And overseen in the International Telecommunication Union.

    The use of spectrum is key to understand and anticipate those who seek to do us harm.

    If our right to control it is put into doubt…

    We would lose the first line of defence against other countries who wish to interfere and disrupt this capability…

    Rendering it practically useless.

    In addition – if we do not agree this deal…

    The legal situation would mean that…

    We would not be able to prevent China…

    Or any other nation…

    Setting up their own bases on the outer islands,

    Or carrying out joint exercises near our base.

    We would have to explain to you – the British people –

    And to our allies…

    That we had lost control of this vital asset.

    No responsible government could let that happen.

    So there is no alternative –

    But to act –

    In Britain’s national interest.

    By agreeing to this deal now – on our terms –

    We are securing strong protections, including from malign influence…

    That will allow the base to operate well into the next century…

    Helping to keep us safe for generations to come.

    Other approaches to secure the base have been tried over the years –

    And they have failed.

    [political content redacted]

    Now there is obviously a cost to maintaining such a valuable asset.

    We pay for our other military bases.

    Allies like the US and France do the same.

    This cost is part and parcel of using Britain’s global reach to keep us safe at home… 

    And it will be less than cost of running one aircraft carrier for a year.

    *

    Today’s agreement is the only way to maintain the base in the long term.

    There is no alternative.

    We will never gamble with national security.

    So we have acted –

    To secure our national interest…

    To strengthen our national security –

    And to protect the British people for many years to come.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Doggett: “The Republican deficit hawks have become chicken hawks in submission to Trump”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)

    Like arsonists claiming to be firefighters, Republicans talk fiscal responsibility while adding trillions to the national debt and threatening the solvency of Social Security and Medicare.

    Contact: Alexis.Torres@mail.house.gov

    Washington, D.C.—Today, in the early morning hours after an all-night debate, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) voted against President Trump’s and the GOP’s Tax Scam. To pay for even more tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk, their bill includes devoting $20 billion to undermining public schools with a new federal voucher scheme, ripping food assistance away from hungry families, repealing renewable energy credits, and denying nearly 14 million Americans access to a family physician and medications while triggering a $500 billion automatic cut to Medicare.

    Under the cover of darkness, through late-night debates, votes and meetings, Republicans rejected 522 amendments from Democrats, including three from Rep. Doggett to protect health care access, public schools, and to ensure any benefits from the bill only go to the 98% of Americans making under $400,000 a year, and no tax breaks for the country’s richest 2%. 

    Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” will lead to those earning $1 million or more annually to benefit 310x more than those making $50,000 or less. Indeed, the poorest 10% of Americans will see their incomes decrease due to all the cuts in this bill. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where it will likely be substantially changed. 

    For more than 29 hours, Rep. Doggett and House Democrats led sustained opposition to Republicans’ Tax Scam. His remarks on the House floor can be viewed here, and a transcript is below.

    U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett

    House Floor Speech

    May 22, 2025

    Breaking yet another promise, Republicans are cutting Medicare by $500 billion.

    On October 1 of this year, every Medicare healthcare provider will see a 4% cut, and that will occur year after year as seniors try to find someone who will accept Medicare.

    On January 1, millions of Americans who rely on the Affordable Care Act will lose their access to a family physician. Medicaid for those in nursing homes and for half the babies born in my hometown of Austin is cut. Almost 14 million Americans will lose their access to health care.

    The new Trump school voucher sabotage plan, atop State vouchers, incentivizes removing students from public schools.

    Meanwhile, our national debt, soaring by trillions from Republicans who talk fiscal responsibility but serve their cult leader, the deficit hawks have become chicken hawks tonight in submission to Trump, the self-described king of debt.

    All to reward billionaires with even more tax breaks.

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor Statement on House Republicans’ Budget for Billionaires

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

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) blasted the House Republican “Billionaire Boondoggle” bill that would rip health care coverage away from at least 14 million Americans including children, seniors and people with disabilities, while ballooning the nation’s debt to give massive tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans like Elon Musk. The revised version of the bill also would further slash Medicare despite promises from Republicans and President Trump that it was “off the table.” Huge cuts to food assistance will also leave children and families in the lurch at a time of rising prices.

    “The billionaire tax giveaway will hit Floridians particularly hard, as 3.9 million rely on Medicaid and 4.6 million rely on Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage. The GOP bill takes health care away from children, seniors, pregnant and postpartum women, and people with disabilities to fund a massive tax break for billionaires and big corporations. That is fiscally irresponsible and morally wrong. The bill is chock full of special interest side deals and carve-outs that Republicans tried to hide by having most debate in the wee hours of the morning,” said Rep. Castor. “Medicaid and the ACA are a lifeline for millions of my neighbors back home in Florida. Slashing essential care means more Floridians will struggle to afford doctor visits, medications, long-term care and critical treatments needed to stay healthy and keep their heads above water. I have fought their shameful attempts to steal from Americans through the night and will not stop fighting to protect the health and well-being of my hardworking neighbors.”

    In addition to deeply damaging health care cuts, the Republican plan threatens nutrition assistance for almost 3 million Floridians by slashing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) at a time when families are struggling with high grocery prices and still rebuilding their lives after the devastating hurricanes.

    The plan also threatens numerous initiatives that are lowering costs for American families, including clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA). 

    Rep. Castor is committed to fighting back against this reckless Billionaire Boondoggle bill and standing up for Florida families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: REPS. KHANNA, LUNA, KAPTUR, AND BIGGS INTRODUCE BILL TO CODIFY TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE ORDER TO LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

    Washington, DC —Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17), Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13), Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), and Andy Biggs (AZ-05) introduced the bipartisan Global Fairness in Drug Pricing Act to codify the core provisions of President Trump’s Executive Order into law—ensuring lasting, enforceable reform that permanently delivers lower prices to Americans.  

    Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the world — in some cases, up to ten times more than patients in other comparably developed nations for the same exact medications. President Trump’s executive order, while a step forward, could be tied up in the courts and delayed indefinitely without action from Congress. 

    “Americans are getting ripped off. It’s deeply unfair that we’re paying significantly more for the same prescription drugs than people in other countries. Pharmaceutical companies are raking in billions while patients are rationing their medications or going into crushing debt to get the prescriptions they need. There is bipartisan outrage, and Congress must come together to act. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan bill with Reps. Luna, Kaptur, and Biggs to lower prices for Americans,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. 

    “For decades, Big Pharma has lined its pockets by ripping off American consumers. Their extraordinarily profitable racket overcharged desperate Americans for life-saving medicine, while charging foreign consumers more reasonable prices. I’m proud to reach across the aisle to codify President Trump’s executive order, which put an end to this disgusting practice. Congress must make sure that pharmaceutical companies are never allowed to extort the sick and needy again,” said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.

    “It’s time to stand up to drug companies who are more worried about bolstering profits for their Wall Street investors, than making sure people can afford life-saving medication. The predatory pricing practices of giant, largely faceless, pharmaceutical corporations causes undue burden on Americans just trying their best just to get by. There is no reason my constituents should pay more for their medicine than our Canadian neighbors 59 miles away across our northern border. Our effort to guarantee lowest possible pricing will benefit the well-being of tens of millions of Americans. I’m grateful to Congressman Khanna, Congresswoman Luna, and Congressman Biggs for helping lead this bipartisan effort for the American people who need all the help they can get in lowering their prescription drug costs,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09).  

    The Global Fairness in Drug Pricing Act legislation would:

    1. Direct HHS to propose rulemaking that imposes most-favored-nation price targets, aligning U.S. drug prices with those in peer countries;
    2. Authorize the FDA to consistently grant importation waivers for prescription drugs from countries with strong safety records and lower costs;
    3. Empower the FTC and DOJ to investigate and act on anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical industry using existing antitrust laws;
    4. Facilitate direct-to-consumer access to low-cost drugs at international benchmark prices;
    5. Require the Department of Commerce and USTR to assess policies that force Americans to subsidize global R&D or suppress fair pricing abroad.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RELEASE: REPS. RO KHANNA AND JONATHAN JACKSON APPALLED BY TRUMP’S INSULTS TO SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA GIVEN THIER FAMILIES’ STRUGGLE AGAINST COLONIALISM AND FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Rep Ro Khanna (CA-17)

    Washington, DC – Representatives Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Jonathan Jackson (IL-01) released the following statement after President Donald Trump’s meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. Representative Jackson’s father, Rev. Jesse Jackson, fought for civil rights and an end to apartheid in South Africa. Representative Khanna’s grandfather, Amarnath Vidyalankar, was an Indian freedom fighter who spent four years in jail alongside Gandhi. They are inspired by them to stand up for civil rights and against colonialism. 

    “President Trump’s claims that white farmers are being systematically killed is a dangerous lie. While Trump and Vance deport people without due process, the administration is using this lie to justify giving white farmers refugee status in the US. His false narrative of a ‘white genocide’ is profoundly insulting and harmful to those who have faced centuries of discrimination and violence under colonialism and apartheid in South Africa and to President Ramaphosa, who worked tirelessly to end apartheid. America’s standing on the world stage is being destroyed by this administration.

    “We look forward to traveling to South Africa to honor the legacies of Gandhi and Mandela and to respect President Ramaphosa and those who led the fight against apartheid as well as reconciliation.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Schumer, Padilla, Schiff, Raskin, Swalwell, and Johnson Introduce Bicameral Bill to Move US Marshals Service to Judicial Branch

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced legislation that would address the potential for weaponization of the U.S. Marshals Service (“Marshals” or “USMS”) by President Trump and the executive branch. The Maintaining Authority and Restoring Security to Halt the Abuse of Law Act (MARSHALS Act) would move the Marshals from the operation and direction of the executive branch to the judiciary, ensuring that USMS can perform its primary mission of protecting federal judges and to obeying, executing, and enforcing federal court orders without political interference. U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-CA-14), House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), and House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts Ranking Member Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) introduced companion legislation in the House.

    President Trump and members of his Administration are systematically undermining judicial independence and the rule of law: the President himself called for impeachment of a federal judge who ruled against him, the Vice President has suggested that the executive branch does not need to follow court orders, and a federal judge has found that the Trump Administration demonstrated a “willful disregard” for its court order. Against the backdrop of Trump’s attacks on the rule of law, serious threats of violence against federal judges and their families have risen to alarming levels. Hundreds of unsolicited pizza deliveries have been sent to the homes of federal judges and their relatives across seven states in an apparent attempt to intimidate the judiciary. Many of the deliveries have been sent to judges who ruled against the Trump Administration and some have been placed in the name of Daniel Anderl, the son of New Jersey District Judge Esther Salas, who was fatally shot by an attorney who appeared in her courtroom.

    The USMS, the nation’s oldest federal law enforcement agency, risks being ensnared in Trump’s efforts to upend our constitutional order. While the USMS’s “primary role and mission” is to protect the federal judiciary and obey and enforce its court orders, the USMS is under the control of the executive branch, specifically the U.S. Attorney General who in turn answers to the President. The potential conflict looming between the USMS’s duty to provide security for and carry out the orders of the federal judiciary and the Attorney General’s control of the Marshals will put our democracy to the test if the Administration directs the USMS to ignore a court order or otherwise prevents the USMS from carrying out its duties. For example, at a recent meeting of the Judicial Conference of the United States, a federal judge expressed concern that the President could order the USMS to stop protecting judges.

    “President Trump has made it abundantly clear through his words and actions that he does not respect the law, court orders, the safety of our judges, or our institutions,” said Senator Booker. “Since 1789, the U.S. Marshals have valiantly protected our nation’s judges and enforced court orders. But their dual accountability to the executive branch and the judicial branch paves the way toward a constitutional crisis. To ensure these necessary functions are carried out, Congress must act to move the bureau into the judicial branch. Our U.S. Marshals are critical to protecting the rule of law, and they must be able to do their jobs without political interference.”

    “Trump’s tenure has been marked by corruption, chaos, and abuse, with his administration waging a war against the rule of law,” said Leader Schumer. “We will not allow Trump and Pam Bondi to interfere with the marshals as they enforce court orders, or weaponize them to intimidate government employees or American citizens. This legislation would protect the U.S. Marshals Service from abuse by the executive branch and ensure that law enforcement officers perform their essential duties.”

    “The Trump Administration has repeatedly undermined judicial independence and misused the U.S. Marshals Service for political gain,” said Senator Padilla. “They’ve politicized the Marshals Service by intimidating the former pardon attorney, threatening USAID officials, and potentially risking the security of federal judges. Our bill restores the Marshals Service’s independence by placing it within the judicial branch so it can fulfill its core mission of protecting judges and enforcing court orders without political interference.” 

    “We’ve seen threats against judges escalate as the president has threatened impeachment of those who rule against him. We have also seen the administration pull security from former officials who are still at risk because the president views them as enemies. And we have also seen the president ignore court orders he doesn’t like. The U.S. Marshals are central to preserving our democracy and upholding the rule of law. Marshals must be able to protect all judges, enforce all court orders and have the independence necessary to do their jobs,” said Senator Schiff.

    “We’re seeing a rise in outrageous attacks on federal judges simply for doing their jobs. Congress must act to make sure that our courts have reliable personal, physical and electronic security to count on, and that means security not subject to the discretionary whims of a president who may disrespect judicial independence and the rule of law. This legislation is necessary to fortify the independence of the judicial branch which is essential to the survival of strong democracy. Our legislation will ensure that the U.S. Marshals can perform their duties without political interference or coercive pressure from the president or anyone else in the executive branch,” said Ranking Member Raskin.

    “Judges should be in charge of their own security. Today, they’re not. And they’re facing more death threats than ever in the history of the judiciary. Today, independent judges must rely upon the executive branch, whose cases are often in front of them, for personal security. We’re in a constitutional crisis that necessitates a structural change to protect judges from political violence and intimidation,” said Congressman Swalwell. “I have seen how threats of violence to members of Congress pressure them into staying silent or influence their votes on the House floor. We cannot allow the same calculations to creep into the deliberations of independent judges. That is why I’m proud to introduce the MARSHALS Act to prevent political interference in the courts. In a time when we face a lawless president, giving the defendant command and control over the security of their judges is indefensible. That’s why my colleagues and I are moving forward to realign the U.S. Marshals Service under the judicial branch—the very institution they are sworn to protect.”

    “The independence of the judicial branch and the rule of law itself are under assault by Donald Trump and his MAGA cronies,” said Representative Johnson, ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet. “Putting control of the U.S. Marshals Service squarely within the judiciary goes a long way towards protecting the judicial branch from continued abuse by the Trump Administration.”

    Specifically, the MARSHALS Act would: 

    1. Create a U.S. Marshals Board modeled on the Board of the U.S. Capitol Police, the federal law enforcement agency that protects Congress. The Board would consist of the Chief Justice of the United States and the Judicial Conference of the United States.
    2. Authorize the Chief Justice, in consultation with the Board, to select a Director of the U.S. Marshals Service and U.S. Marshals in each judicial district of the United States and its territories.
    3. Allow the Marshals to continue their existing work of protecting judges and enforcing judicial subpoenas and court orders without political interference and preserve their other law enforcement functions (pursuing fugitives, seeking missing children, etc.) at the request of the Attorney General and with the consent of the Director of the Marshals

    The MARSHALS Act is endorsed by the following organizations: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Court Accountability, Demand Justice, Fix the Court, People for the American Way, and Public Citizen.

    “As a co-equal branch of government the judiciary should be responsible for the security of judges and should not have to rely on the benevolence of the executive branch to enforce court decisions,” said Debra Perlin, Vice President for Policy at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “But under our current system the courts rely almost exclusively on the executive branch for judicial security with the Attorney General overseeing the U.S. Marshals Service, the Department of Justice bureau responsible for protecting judges and enforcing court orders. With threats against judges both from litigants and public officials reaching historic highs, it is past time for this to change. We thank the lead sponsors for introducing the MARSHALS Act and encourage all senators to work together to ensure that the judiciary can fulfill its constitutional and statutory functions safely and without fear of political interference.”

    “This legislation is a critical bolster for checks and balances at a time when the Trump administration is defying court orders and leveling threats against judges simply for doing their jobs. If we want fair-minded judges to be able to defend the rule of law, it’s essential that we empower the judiciary to ensure compliance with its orders and protect judges from a dangerous surge in violent threats,” said Alex Aronson, co-founder and executive director, Court Accountability.

    “Trump has shown us that virtually nothing is out-of-bounds when it comes to eliminating checks on his dangerous, unpopular agenda. The Marshals must be able to carry out their duties without political interference and judges deserve to have protection regardless of how they rule on cases. This has been made even clearer by Trump and his allies’ threats and intimidation tactics against federal judges and others they view as their political enemies. We applaud the bill sponsors for introducing this bill and taking this important first step,” said Maggie Jo Buchanan, Interim Executive Director of Demand Justice.

    “Presidents supervise more than a dozen law enforcement agencies, but the fact that the primary mission of one of them is to protect members of another branch has never made a whole lot of structural sense. I applaud the bill’s sponsors for crafting a bill to move that agency, the U.S. Marshals Service, from Article II to Article III, thereby ensuring that judges’ safety isn’t subject to interbranch politics or other distractions — all the more important today, as both Democratic and Republican appointees face unprecedented threats,” Fix the Court executive director Gabe Roth said.

    “The US Marshals Service plays an essential role in enforcing federal court orders and protecting federal judges. Now, with a president who is undermining the rule of law and challenging courts’ authority,  coupled with a rising tide of threats against federal judges, the integrity of the Marshals Service is more important than ever. Without fair and independent courts, our freedom to speak our minds and challenge those in power will come to an end. Judges must be able to freely and fairly interpret the law and the constitution without fear for theirs and their families’ safety. We cannot wait until it’s too late to protect our courts. We congratulate Senator Booker, Leader Schumer, Senator Schiff, and Senator Padilla on introducing this important legislation and lifting up the need for robust protections for the safety and sanctity of our federal courts,” said People For the American Way, President Svante Myrick.

    “This commonsense legislation from Leader Schumer, Senator Booker, Senator Schiff, and Senator Padilla will simply ensure that the judiciary’s decisions are followed. In this era of executive branch court defiance, a repositioning of the marshals within the judiciary branch is a sensible move to protect the prerogatives of our coequal branches of government. Public Citizen applauds this smart policy,” said Lisa Gilbert, Public Citizen, Co-President.

    To read the full text of the bill, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The top Democrats leading the fight against Trump’s agenda

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Fernando Pizarro, Lecturer, Department of Journalism, City St. George’s, University of London, City St George’s, University of London

    The first five months of Donald Trump’s second presidency have been brutal for the Democratic party, which has been almost completely unable to stop his aggressive agenda. In March, CNN polling showed the favourability rating for the Democrats at just 29% – a record low in CNN polls dating back to 1992.

    The problem with the Democratic party “isn’t a lack of talent”, says Federico de Jesús, a Democratic strategist and spokesman for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign who I interviewed for this story. It is a “problem of vision and strategy”, he argues.

    “A lot of people, in theory, agree with the Democrats on a lot of issues. But they don’t necessarily feel comfortable with the direction the party is taking.” De Jesús told me that the Democrats allowed themselves to become identified by “woke issues” by many voters who abandoned them in November.

    However, the Democrats now have some reasons to celebrate. In early April, a Democratic-backed judge called Susan Crawford secured a seat in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. This kept liberal control of the state’s highest court intact. And a Reuters/Ipsos poll released a few weeks later showed that only 37% of US voters approve of Trump’s handling of the economy.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    As a Washington political correspondent for almost two decades, I have witnessed how the parties changed the guard after painful election cycles. This time, in the absence of clear leaders, the challenge is quite high for the Democrats.

    But who are the Democrats positioning themselves to lead the struggle against Trump’s policies? The acts of defiance are coming from two fronts: lawmakers in Congress and governors.

    Senate minority leader Charles Schumer has predicted that the Democrats will win back control of the Senate after the 2026 midterm elections. “The electorate will desert the Republican candidates who embraced Trump in an overwhelming way”, he said on April 23.

    Others, like California senator Adam Schiff and Maryland congressman Jamie Raskin, are using tactics like holding town halls in strong Republican districts to rally the opposition. Michigan congressman Shri Thanedar even filed articles of impeachment against Trump on April 28, but top Democrats shot down the effort as impractical.

    At the same time, House of Representatives minority leader Hakeem Jeffries is facing an intra-party effort to unseat many long-time lawmakers in solid Democratic districts. David Hogg, vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee, is pledging US$20 million (£15 million) to end a culture of “seniority politics” which allows “asleep at the wheel” lawmakers to stay in office.

    But it is New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who has been stealing the headlines. She is setting fundraising records, preparing for an effort to challenge Schumer in a New York senatorial primary in 2028. Surveys this early are rarely predictive, but an April head-to-head poll has Ocasio-Cortez leading Schumer by double digits.

    Three Democrat governors are standing out at present: Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro, Minnesota’s Tim Walz and California’s Gavin Newsom.

    Shapiro is very popular with voters in his crucial swing state, and gets good marks even from Republicans on his bipartisan record. Walz was Kamala Harris’s running mate in November’s election, and his campaign performance was well received by his party. Walz is an obvious contender to run for the White House in 2028.

    But Newsom is probably the most notable of the three. While he’s been critical of his party, telling the Hill newspaper on April 21 that Democrats haven’t performed a thorough autopsy of what led to the loss in November, he is seen as someone who can address Republican voters well.

    A second tier of governors include Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, whose soft criticism of the Trump administration’s tariff regime saw Trump praise her for doing an “excellent job”. She is joined by Maryland’s Wes Moore, who is young and popular in his state, and JB Pritzker of Illinois.

    Pritzker called for “mass mobilisations and disruption” against Trump at a Democratic event in New Hampshire in late April. “These governors need to stand out”, said de Jesús, “either by fighting against Trump, or either [by] achieving something memorable.”

    Harris had largely kept a low profile since November’s election. But on April 30 she sharply criticised Trump’s first 100 days in office during a speech in San Francisco. She may decide to enter the race for California governor in the summer of 2025.

    Dark horse leader

    There could also be a dark horse leader waiting in the wings: Rahm Emanuel. As former Chicago mayor, Illinois congressman, Obama and Bill Clinton aide and US ambassador to Japan, he is considered a political heavyweight.

    Emanuel has hinted he may again run for public office, while criticising the party’s focus on gender issues and not on “kitchen table” issues as reasons for November’s defeat.

    Progressives chafe at the idea of dialling down the talk about certain policies, such as gender and identity issues. But both Newsom and Emanuel are among those suggesting that the focus should instead shift to defending changes that most voters can relate to.

    At the moment, the party still lacks a clear leader and direction to recover from the 2024 defeat. Newsom, for instance, told the Hill that he doesn’t “know what the party is”. “I’m still struggling with that,” he added.

    According to de Jesús, “people don’t necessarily want someone to just hate Trump, but to identify the issues voters care about and co-opt that populist message.”

    Fernando Pizarro does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The top Democrats leading the fight against Trump’s agenda – https://theconversation.com/the-top-democrats-leading-the-fight-against-trumps-agenda-254869

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Matthew Powell, Teaching Fellow in Strategic and Air Power Studies, University of Portsmouth

    Donald Trump has unveiled plans for a new “next-generation” missile defence system which he says will by “capable even of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space”. The US president says “Golden Dome”, which is reportedly partly inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome system that protects the country from missile attacks, will be operational by the end of his current four-year term of office.

    But critics say that it’s much harder to design a defence system to protect a land mass the size of the United States. This is particularly the case in an era characterised by the threat from hypersonic missiles, such as those used by Russia against Ukraine, as well as attacks from space.

    Ever since the first aerial attacks on civilian populations, there have been increasing calls to provide systems that can defend and destroy the potential for an adversary to attack people, governments and infrastructure.

    This developed from relatively basic defence systems, such as those employed by the UK from 1917 to protect London and the south-east of England from attack during the first world war, which developed further to provide a relatively large degree of protection during the Battle of Britain in the summer and autumn of 1940.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    During the cold war, which followed the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, research accelerated globally into ways of providing greater protection against nuclear attack. The most eye-catching of these ideas was the announcement by Ronald Reagan in 1983 of plans to develop a massive (and hugely expensive) land and space-based missile defence system.

    The project, officially called the Strategic Defence Initiative quickly became known colloquially – if slightly mockingly – as “Star Wars”.

    The concept behind the missile defence system was that it would provide a way of effectively making nuclear weapons obsolete. Through the application of a defensive system that incorporated both land and space-based missiles, it was believed that any nuclear warhead fired would be destroyed before it was able to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere.

    This would not only prevent intercontinental ballistic missiles from striking their intended target, but their destruction so high above the Earth would mean that they would not pose a threat in terms of nuclear radiation and fallout.

    It’s important to note that what was announced by Reagan in March 1983 was not about the development, construction or application of an actual defensive system. It was about funding research into the technologies that would be required for such a system.

    Reagan claimed this was a move to create a more peaceful world by making nuclear weapons effectively obsolete. But it was certainly not seen this way in Moscow.

    It was also something of a half truth. The move should be seen within the wider context of cold war relations and developments. The Reagan administration was seeking to bring the Soviet Union to the negotiating table to discuss reductions in strategic weapons.

    By developing a defensive system that would make strategic nuclear weapons almost obsolete, it was hoped this would force the hand of the Soviets and effectively compel them to agree to talks.

    The ‘Star Wars’ era: Ronald Reagan hoped his planned missile defence system would force the USSR to the negotiating table. He was right.
    Yuryi Abramochkin/RIA Novosti archive., CC BY

    But at the same time, as far as the decision-makers in the Kremlin were concerned, such a system – if developed and deployed – would give the United States a colossal strategic advantage. By the mid-1980s, it was highly unlikely that the Soviets could ever afford the investment in research and development and production capabilities to design their own system. This would mean that the Soviet Union was now highly vulnerable to a nuclear attack, while the US would be protected.

    This would place the United States in a similar position to that which it had enjoyed between 1945 and 1949, when it was the only nation that had the ability launch nuclear weapons. The theory of mutually assured destruction would fall almost overnight, meaning that the US had very little to fear from launching a nuclear attack, as any Soviet response would be futile.

    Given the potential for nuclear blackmail by the all-powerful US, it might cause the Kremlin to consider launching a pre-emptive strike against the US before such a system could be developed or implemented. Rather than making the world a safer place and diminishing the place of nuclear weapons, the world would become more dangerous.

    Pie in the sky?

    The Strategic Defence Initiative never really got off the ground. The initial mockery from large parts of the public of the US hid many real challenges to the development of such a defensive system. The research and development aspect alone came with a very large price tag. This was largely out of step with Reagan’s ideas about small government and limited public spending.

    In order to fund such a programme, money would have to be diverted from other domestic and social programmes, such as health and education. Despite the cold war context, this may well have risked unrest and protest from large swaths of the US population.

    The new technologies that were supposed to be developed as a part of this initiative were untested. It became evident that the only real way to test the efficacy and capability would be to expose the world to a nuclear attack and hope that the theoretical concepts that had been developed actually worked in practice.

    The Soviet Union also found ways of countering the potential developments that may emerge from the Strategic Defence Initiative, making the system almost redundant before it had begun.

    Proposed defence systems, like the Strategic Defence Initiative or the Golden Dome, can appear to be a panacea to defensive worries caused by heavily armed adversaries. Announcements about their development can cause global headlines and speculation about what this means for relations between nations and the international system.

    Take a step back from the US president’s hype, however, and it’s clear that Golden Dome will be hugely expensive and challenging to operate. Moreover it will require significant capabilities that do not yet exist and have yet to be tested operationally.

    Matthew Powell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Golden Dome: what Trump should learn from Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defence system plan – https://theconversation.com/golden-dome-what-trump-should-learn-from-reagans-star-wars-missile-defence-system-plan-257372

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Miller Applauds House Passage of President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

    “I was proud to cast my vote in support of President Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill,” said Congresswoman Mary Miller. “This legislation delivers on the America First agenda that a majority of Americans support. It ensures illegals are stripped of federal SNAP benefits, enforces common-sense work requirements for Medicaid, invests in mass deportation efforts, cuts taxes on tips and overtime, and dismantles Biden’s radical Green New Deal policies. The House has done its job, now the Senate must act quickly and send this bill to President Trump’s desk.”

    As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, Rep. Miller successfully secured a key provision in the One Big, Beautiful Bill that prohibits illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded SNAP benefits. This measure saves billions of dollars and implements a key part of President Trump’s agenda.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Lauren Boebert Secures Wins in One Big Beautiful Bill Passage

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado, 3)

    WASHINGTON, DC– Congresswoman Lauren Boebert (CO-04) provided the following statement on her YES vote and passage of H.R. 1, President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill:

    “Voting YES on President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is a major step towards implementing the America First mandate voters delivered to us last November. This critical legislation makes the Trump tax cuts permanent, unleashes American energy producers, invests billions in support of our farmers and ranchers by responsibly reforming SNAP benefits, strengthens Medicaid to focus on American citizens who truly need help, and delivers a final net deficit reduction of $1.5 trillion. There’s work to be done in the coming months to further codify President Trump’s agenda and executive orders, but The One Big Beautiful Bill puts us on a pathway to American greatness.”

    H.R. 1 includes the language of Congresswoman Boebert’s American Energy Act, which streamlines the permitting process for oil & gas producers and protects projects from being slowed down by malicious and frivolous lawsuits.

    Congresswoman Boebert also fought for specific policy victories in The One Big Beautiful Bill including:

    • Removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA). This would remove the unconstitutional excise tax currently levied on suppressors as well as remove the onerous governmental restrictions including government registry, fingerprinting, extensive wait times, and the requirement of carrying proof of tax paid while visiting a gun range.
    • Ensuring all illegal aliens including parolees are not receiving federal benefits.
    • Continuing to remove the waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid by preventing reimbursements for transgender surgeries.
    • Putting in work requirements for Medicaid by 2026 to ensure these dollars will be used to help our most vulnerable populations.
    • Ensuring taxpayer dollars will not fund abortion providers.
    • Phasing out Joe Biden’s Green New Scam by 2028 and putting American Energy producers back in business.
    • Incentivizing states not to expand the welfare state and instead prioritize taking care of our seniors.

    BACKGROUND:

    The One Big Beautiful Bill includes the following key highlights:

    • Delivers an economy that is pro-growth, pro-worker, pro-family, and pro-business:
      • Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent, preventing the average taxpayer from seeing a 22% tax hike.
      • Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, and providing additional tax relief for seniors.
      • Supports small businesses and Made-in-America investments through immediate 100% expensing, incentives for new manufacturing facilities, R&D immediate amortization, and interest expense deductions.
    • Provides over $140 billion – the largest border security investment in history – to secure our borders and keep Americans safe:
      • Allows for the completion of 701 miles of primary wall and construction of 900 miles of river barriers.
      • Funds at least one million annual removals, 10,000 new Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, and detention capacity sufficient to maintain an average daily population of at least 100,000 aliens.
      • Supports the hiring and training of 3,000 new Border Patrol agents, 5,000 new Office of Field Operations customs officers, and other urgently needed personnel.
    • Restores integrity to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by requiring states to shoulder a share of the benefit costs, preventing states from manipulating SNAP eligibility and benefit calculations, and restoring SNAP work requirements for able-bodied adults without young dependents.
    • Strengthens Medicaid for Americans who truly need it, while rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse:
      • Establishes commonsense work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents and stops new money laundering gimmicks like provider taxes and State Directed Payments.
      • Strengthens program integrity measures that protect Medicaid resources for the most vulnerable.
      • Closes loopholes that let illegal immigrants enroll in Medicaid and reduces funding to states that prioritize Medicaid coverage of illegal immigrants. In total, 1.4 million illegal immigrants who are gaming the system will be kicked off Medicaid as a result of this bill.
    • Reverses Biden’s radical Green New Deal agenda:
      • Repeals Biden’s EV mandates and CAFE standards for passenger cars and light trucks.
      • Rescinding wasteful environmental slush funds.
      • Repeals and phases out Inflation Reduction Act subsidies.
    • Unleashes American energy dominance, ensuring affordable energy for families and creating jobs across the country:
      • Reinstates quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales and mandates at least 30 lease sales in the Gulf of America over the next 15 years and six in the Cook Inlet in south-central Alaska.
      • Resumes leasing for energy production in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and coal leasing on federal lands.
      • Streamlines the permitting process for energy infrastructure.
    • Makes major reforms to streamline student loan options, support student success, and save taxpayer money.
    • Invests nearly $144 billion to modernize our military and strengthen national defense.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kelly applauds House passage of One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Chairman of the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Tax, released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

    “Today, House Republicans fulfilled a promise to deliver tax relief to the American people. This legislation will strengthen working families and small businesses in Pennsylvania and across the United States. Parents will benefit from an expanded Child Tax Credit. We have delivered President Trump’s promise of no tax on tips, overtime, auto loan interest, and tax relief for seniors. And, we are putting more money in the pockets of millions of Americans. We are building on the success of the 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act and we are making sure these pro-growth tax policies will benefit generations to come,” said Rep. Kelly.

    BACKGROUND

    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act makes permanent the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts and includes critical pro-growth policies that will cut taxes by an additional $1,300 for a family of four and deliver higher wages and incomes for millions of Americans. A recent report from the Council of Economic Advisers shows the legislation will produce up to $13,300 more in take-home pay for a typical family and up to $11,600 more in wages for American workers.

    The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Is Pro-Growth Tax Policy
    Permanent extension of the Trump tax cuts, alongside additional pro-growth policies, will fuel a resurgence in economic growth:

    • America’s real gross domestic product (GDP) to increase by an estimated 5.2 percent over the next four years and 3.5 percent in the long term.
    • 9.8 to 14.5 percent boost in investment in the next four years and a 4.9 to 7.5 percent boost in long-term investment.
    • 6.6 to 7.4 million full-time jobs saved or created in the next four years and 4.2 million saved or created in the long term.

    FACT SHEET: The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Fuels America’s Economic Growth

    The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Makes Families & Workers Thrive Again

    • Makes the 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent – protecting the average taxpayer from a 22 percent tax hike.
    • Saves the average American family from a $1,700 tax hike – the equivalent of 9 weeks of groceries.
    • Delivers an additional $1,300 tax cut for the average American family.
      — Delivers up to $11,600 in higher wages per worker.
      — Delivers up to $13,300 more in take-home pay for a family with two children.
    • Delivers on President Trump’s priorities of no tax on tips, overtime pay, car loan interest, and tax relief for seniors that will put more money annually in the pockets of millions of Americans:
      — Up to $1,750 for overtime workers.
      — $1,700 for tipped workers.
      -= Up to $450 for seniors.
    • Locks in and boosts the doubled Child Tax Credit for more than 40 million families and provides additional tax relief for American families.
    • Preserves and increases the doubled guaranteed deduction for 91 percent of all taxpayers.
    • Expands 529 education savings accounts to empower American families and students to choose the education that best fits their needs, whether it is K-12 materials or obtaining a postsecondary trades credential.
    • Supports working families by expanding access to childcare and making permanent the paid leave tax credit.
    • Puts American families in control of their health care by expanding health savings accounts and cementing into law a Trump Administration policy that offers more choice and flexibility for health coverage options.
    • Starts building financial security for America’s children at birth with the creation of new savings accounts.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CLARKE ISSUES STATEMENT ON REPUBLICANS PASSING TRUMP’S BIG UGLY BILL THROUGH THE HOUSE 

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    May 22, 2025

    MEDIA CONTACT: 

    e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

    c: 202.913.0126

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released the following statement:

    “While the American people slept, Republicans passed the largest cut to healthcare in our nation’s history. Their Big Ugly Bill is an attack on their own constituents, it is an attack on children, veterans, the disabled, and our most vulnerable, and it is an attack on the less fortunate, all in the name of serving the ultra-rich.”

    “Americans are not falling for Republican propaganda about so-called waste and fraud. This was a ruse to rip medicine out of the hands of sick children to fund tax breaks for their obscenely wealthy puppet masters, and the audacity of my colleagues across the aisle to pretend otherwise is nothing but an insult.

    “House Democrats stood in the breach and voted unanimously against this villainous scheme, but the combined efforts of a sadistic GOP and the pressure campaign of their despicable president pushed their assault over the edge. As a result, Americans nationwide are now waking up in fear for their lives and livelihoods.

    “We already knew House Republicans are utterly subservient to President Trump, but to see so many of them defy their own principles and on-the-record positions just to avoid the wrath of one man is simply shameful. At every step, they’ve aided and abetted his ruthless, careless, and inhumane agenda of harm against the American people, all while blowing out the deficit they periodically pretend to care about. Truly, it is terrifying to witness just how willing House Republicans are to partake in the planned obsolescence of Congress as a co-equal branch of government.

    “I cannot stress the devastating impacts this bill will have on hospitals and nursing homes around the country. Their lies and cruelty will cause detrimental consequences to the 14 million Americans who will now lose access to essential healthcare services, the millions of children and families who will now lose their SNAP benefits for food security, and the millions of women who now will lose access to the proper maternal healthcare they need just to survive.

    “I pray the Senate sees this ridiculous and reprehensible bill for what it is, and takes a stand to stop it.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dingell’s TAKE IT DOWN Act Signed into Law

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (12th District of Michigan)

    Congresswoman Debbie Dingell’s (MI-06) bipartisan TAKE IT DOWN Act, which protects victims of non-consensual intimate imagery, was today signed into law by President Donald Trump. The TAKE IT DOWN Act protects victims of real and deepfake ‘revenge pornography’ by criminalizing the publication of these harmful images, in addition to requiring websites to quickly remove them. The rising popularity of AI requires decisive federal legal protections that will empower victims of these heinous crimes, most of whom are women and girls.
     
    The bill was also led by Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), August Pfluger (R-TX), and Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), and Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Ted Cruz (R-TX).
     
    “The increasing use of artificial intelligence to create and circulate deep fake pornography threatens the well-being and security of its victims, primarily women. Perpetrators have used deep fake pornography as a tool to harass, humiliate, and intimidate women and children online, and we need to work together to protect against these threats. This is a serious and growing issue that requires urgent action, which is why I introduced the TAKE IT DOWN Act,” said Rep. Dingell. “This law will provide a critical remedy for victims to ensure these images are removed and that perpetrators are held accountable. As new technology emerges, so too does the potential for new forms of abuse. I’m grateful for my partners in the House and Senate who helped get this bill across the finish line and passed into law, and I will continue to work with everyone, on both sides of the aisle, to respond to emerging technological threats, and protect victims of sexual violence.”
     
    The TAKE IT DOWN Act solves the problem of inconsistent, or non-existent, legislation protecting victims of deepfake pornographic images at the state level. While nearly all states have laws protecting their citizens from revenge porn, only 20 states have explicit laws covering deepfake non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). Among those states, there is a high degree of variance in classification of crime, penalty, and even criminal prosecution. Victims also struggle to have images depicting them removed from websites in a timely manner, potentially contributing to more spread and re-traumatization.
     
    In 2022, Congress passed legislation creating a civil cause of action for victims to sue individuals responsible for publishing NCII. However, bringing a civil action can be incredibly impractical. It is time-consuming, expensive, and may force victims to relive trauma. Further exacerbating the problem, it is not always clear who is responsible for publishing the NCII.
     
    The TAKE IT Down Act addresses these issues while protecting lawful speech by:

    • Criminalizing the publication of NCII or the threat to publish NCII in interstate commerce;
    • Protecting good faith efforts to assist victims by permitting the good faith disclosure of NCII for the purpose of law enforcement or medical treatment;
    • Requiring websites to take down NCII upon notice from the victims within 48 hours; and
    • Requiring that computer-generated NCII meet a ‘reasonable person’ test for appearing to realistically depict an individual, so as to conform to current First Amendment jurisprudence.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bergman Votes in Support of Budget, No Tax on Tips & Overtime Pay, Historic Investment in Defense & Border Security

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jack Bergman (MI-1)

    This morning, Rep. Jack Bergman voted in support of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    This landmark legislation fulfills the clear mandate voters gave to President Trump, Rep. Bergman, and the Republican Party last November: deliver bold, conservative solutions for the American people.

    This bill delivers on many of Rep. Bergman’s key promises to his constituents such as generational investment in our Nation’s defense, historic funding to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration across our borders, cutting taxes on tips and overtime, and unlocking our Nation’s energy potential. 

    Rep. Bergman stated, “House Republicans got the job done. We kept our word – cutting costs for families, boosting American energy, stopping massive tax hikes, securing our southern border, strengthening Medicaid, and investing in our national defense. While no piece of legislation is perfect, this was a team effort with input from all of our constituents to deliver real results for the American people.”

    Ways and Means Committee Fact Sheets:

    The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Makes Rural America Great Again

    The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Makes America Win Again

    The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Puts American Workers First

    The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Fuels America’s Economic Growth

    The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Champions Life and Puts American Families First

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Casten, Smith Demand DOJ Investigation Into Trump Crypto Dinner

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Sean Casten (IL-06)

    May 22, 2025

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Congressmen Sean Casten (IL-06) and Adam Smith (WA-09) led 35 House Democrats in a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Public Integrity Section demanding DOJ immediately launch an investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s offer for top investors in his cryptocurrency token, $TRUMP, to join him at a private dinner violates federal bribery laws or the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution.

    “We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote. “This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.”

    Days before the start of his second term, President Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin. Its price quickly peaked at $75, before crashing and causing $2 billion in investor losses. In April, President Trump announced plans to invite $TRUMP’s top 220 investors to a private dinner, resulting in a 60% surge in price as investors rushed to accumulate enough value to qualify for a seat at the dinner. 

    The Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since $TRUMP was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement. Multiple investors have explicitly stated that they hoped to purchase influence with the president. 

    In addition, a Bloomberg investigation found that the majority of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. The top spot is held by Justin Sun, a Chinese crypto entrepreneur who faced an SEC lawsuit alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his blockchain platform. The Trump Administration notably paused the legal action after Sun invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures, the World Liberty Project. 

    “U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns,” the lawmakers continued. “However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.”

    The Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8) prohibits any federal government official, including the President, from accepting any benefit from a foreign government without the consent of Congress. It is critical that the DOJ conducts a nonpartisan investigation of President Trump’s private dinner.

    In addition to Reps. Casten and Smith, the letter was signed by Reps. Nanette Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Greg Casar, Yvette Clarke, Emanuel Cleaver, Cleo Fields, Bill Foster, Maxwell Frost, John Garamendi, Robert Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Dan Goldman, Al Green, Jim Himes, Glenn Ivey, Marcy Kaptur, Sam Liccardo, Zoe Lofgren, Stephen Lynch, April McClain Delaney, Betty McCollum, Gregory Meeks, Dave Min, Brittany Pettersen, Brad Sherman, Shri Thanedar, Rashida Tlaib, Paul Tonko, Ritchie Torres, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Nikema Williams.

    A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.

    Dear Acting Chief Sullivan:

    We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025. This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.

    On April 23, 2025, a website connected to the Trump family, gettrumpmemes.com, announced that the top 220 investors in the $TRUMP memecoin would be invited to a gala dinner with President Trump on May 22, 2025, located at his golf course outside of Washington D.C. The top 25 buyers would get face time with the President at “an ultra-exclusive private VIP” reception before the dinner, as well as a “special” V.I.P. tour of the White House. And the top four investors would receive a limited-edition Trump-branded watch.

    President Trump promoted the event on social media as the “most EXCLUSIVE INVITATION in the world,” causing the price of the memecoin to surge more than 60 percent as investors rushed to accumulate enough coins to qualify for a dinner seat. Overall, the Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since the memecoin was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.

    Investors spent more than $145 million on $TRUMP tokens over the duration of this contest, with some stating explicitly that they hoped to purchase influence with President Trump. For example, GD Culture Group, a small technology company that facilitates e-commerce for other businesses and brands on TikTok, recently announced plans to purchase $300 million worth of $TRUMP coins. And in the company’s own words, its Chinese subsidiary may be subject to “[intervention] or influence” by the Chinese government. GD Culture Group’s announcement came just days after President Trump indicated that he’d “be willing” to delay the statutorily required ban on TikTok in the U.S. past its June 19, 2025, deadline. Freight Technologies, a Houston-based company that specializes in U.S.-Mexico-Canada cross-border shipping, was even more direct about why it planned to purchase $20 million worth of President Trump’s memecoin: to help the company “advocate for fair, balanced, and free trade between Mexico and U.S.,” the company’s CEO said in a statement. After the contest closed, at least 34 of the top 220 investors sold most of their memecoin holdings, further confirming that the $TRUMP memecoin is not a worthwhile investment, but rather a vehicle to buy influence with the Trump Administration.

    The $TRUMP memecoin website displays a leaderboard of the winners whose identities remain largely unknown due to the anonymity of digital wallets. However, a Bloomberg analysis found that 19 of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. Notably, Justin Sun, a Chinese billionaire who has privately touted his ties to the Chinese government and founded a blockchain network often used to finance illicit activities, confirmed that he held the top spot. He owned more than $18 million worth of the memecoin on May 12, 2025, when the contest ended. Since March 2023, Sun has been facing a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his platform. This legal action was notably paused by the Trump administration after he invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures. In what appears to be a quid pro quo move, Sun then invested an additional $45 million into President Trump’s World Liberty Project, while simultaneously increasing his holdings of the $TRUMP memecoin.

    Former Republican lawmakers, President Trump’s former aides, and cryptocurrency industry leaders recognize these national security risks and the opportunity for corruption. Charles Dent, the former chairman of the House Ethics Committee, recently stated that “ foreign entities and governments obviously want to curry favor with the president. This is completely out of bounds and raises all sorts of ethical, legal and constitutional issues that must be addressed.” Additionally, Anthony Scaramucci, a former official in the Trump administration, characterized President Trump’s memecoin as representing “Idi Amin level corruption.” Furthermore, Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, emphasized that politician-backed coins “are vehicles for unlimited political bribery, including from foreign nation states.”

    U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns. However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.

    The Public Integrity Section was established in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and exists to ensure that the Department of Justice conducts fair and thorough investigations into corruption by government officials at all levels, without regard to those officials’ political views or allegiances.

    We therefore urge you to launch an immediate inquiry to determine whether this dinner event violates the federal bribery statute or the foreign emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. If the Department of Justice concludes that it does, we ask that you set aside political considerations and pursue action to uphold public integrity and the rule of law.

    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Nadler Statement Following Vote on Republican’s Dangerous Reconciliation Bill

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

    WASHINGTON, DC –  Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-12) released the following statement after voting against Donald Trump’s dangerous reconciliation bill that slashes health care and food assistance in order to pay for massive tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy:

    “While American families slept last night and early this morning, House Republicans rushed through and passed a devastating bill that kicks more than 10 million Americans off their health coverage, strips food assistance from millions, and drives up premiums, deductibles, and copays for working families.

    In New York alone, 1.4 million people would lose coverage, including 730,000 who would be pushed off the Essential Plan. Hospitals would face more than $1.3 billion in new uncompensated care, and Medicaid would be gutted by punitive work requirements that disproportionately impact seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income caregivers. All of this to finance massive tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations.

    To be clear, Republicans didn’t have to cruelly attacking working families to extended middle-class tax relief.  Simply making the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share would have paid for extending middle-class tax cuts without harming millions of Americans and drastically increasing the deficit by trillions.

    I am proud that every House Democrat stood united in opposing this disastrous bill. The fight is far from over, and I will continue using every tool at my disposal to stop this cruel legislation from becoming law.”

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Smith Joins Entire WA Delegation in Letter Urging President Trump to Reconsider Denial of WA State’s Request for a Disaster Declaration for November “Bomb Cyclone”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

    Severe storms resulted in extensive damage to critical infrastructure, parks, cultural sites, schools, public buildings, and more, resulting in over $34 million dollars in damages across six counties

     

    Letter comes following denial of initial request, WA delegation urges President Trump to reconsider and approve WA state’s pending appeal

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Congressmen Adam Smith (D, WA-09) joined Washington’s entire Congressional delegation– U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (D, WA-01), Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D, WA-03), Dan Newhouse, (R, WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (R, WA-05), Emily Randall (D, WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (D, WA-07), Kim Schrier (D, WA-08), and Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10)—in sending a letter last night to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the devastating windstorms, heavy rainfall, flooding, and mudslides caused by a bomb cyclone that struck Washington state in November 2024.

    “As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay,” the bipartisan, bicameral group of Members wrote.

    “From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone,” the Members wrote.

    “Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.”

    “We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need,” the Members concluded.

    Previously, the full group of Members urged President Biden to grant the request for a Major Disaster Declaration in January.

    The full text of the letter is available HERE and below.

    Dear Mr. President:

    We are writing to express our serious disappointment and growing concern regarding the denial of Washington state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration following the devastating bomb cyclone that struck between November 17 and November 25, 2024. As representatives of Washington state, we earnestly request that you carefully reconsider this decision and approve the state’s pending appeal without further delay.

    From Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum to King, Snohomish, and Walla Walla Counties, the storm’s impact was severe, far-reaching and well-documented. One of the most destructive storms in recent history, it overwhelmed public infrastructure, endangered lives, and left residents across the state grappling with long-term consequences. This is precisely the kind of catastrophic event for which the federal declaration process was designed. The state’s request outlines over $34 million in damages across these six counties—costs that local governments cannot and should not be expected to shoulder alone.

    Disaster declarations are not symbolic, they are critical lifelines for communities in crisis. Washington state’s first responders, local governments, and emergency management professionals have done everything within their means to begin recovery, but the scale of the damage requires federal support through the Public Assistance Program and the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Anything less unnecessarily places our communities, infrastructure and long-term stability at an unacceptable risk.

    Thank you for your attention to this matter. We remain committed to working with you to secure the support our constituents urgently need.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Smith, Casten Demand DOJ Investigation Into Trump Crypto Dinner

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressmen Adam Smith (WA-09) and Sean Casten (IL-06) led 35 House Democrats in a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Public Integrity Section demanding DOJ immediately launch an investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s offer for top investors in his cryptocurrency token, $TRUMP, to join him at a private dinner violates federal bribery laws or the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution.
     
    “We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote. “This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.”
     
    Days before the start of his second term, President Trump launched the $TRUMP memecoin. Its price quickly peaked at $75, before crashing and causing $2 billion in investor losses. In April, President Trump announced plans to invite $TRUMP’s top 220 investors to a private dinner, resulting in a 60% surge in price as investors rushed to accumulate enough value to qualify for a seat at the dinner. 
     
    The Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since $TRUMP was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement. Multiple investors have explicitly stated that they hoped to purchase influence with the president. 
     
    “U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns,” the lawmakers continued. “However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.”
     
    In addition, a Bloomberg investigation found that the majority of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. The top spot is held by Justin Sun, a Chinese crypto entrepreneur who faced an SEC lawsuit alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his blockchain platform. This Trump Administration notably paused the legal action after Sun invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures, the World Liberty Project. 
     
    The Foreign Emoluments Clause of the United States Constitution (Article I, Section 9, Clause 8) prohibits any federal government official, including the President, from accepting any benefit from a foreign government without the consent of Congress. It is critical that the DOJ conducts a nonpartisan investigation of President Trump’s private dinner.
     
    A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.
     
    Dear Acting Chief Sullivan:
     
    We write to request an immediate investigation into President Trump’s offer for the top investors in his $TRUMP memecoin to attend a private dinner with him on May 22, 2025. This invites foreign influence over U.S. policy decisions and raises potential corruption and emoluments clause violations. It is just the latest example of President Trump disregarding ethics norms, introducing further conflicts of interest, and using his office for self-enrichment.
     
    On April 23, 2025, a website connected to the Trump family, gettrumpmemes.com, announced that the top 220 investors in the $TRUMP memecoin would be invited to a gala dinner with President Trump on May 22, 2025, located at his golf course outside of Washington D.C. The top 25 buyers would get face time with the President at “an ultra-exclusive private VIP” reception before the dinner, as well as a “special” V.I.P. tour of the White House. And the top four investors would receive a limited-edition Trump-branded watch.
     
    President Trump promoted the event on social media as the “most EXCLUSIVE INVITATION in the world,” causing the price of the memecoin to surge more than 60 percent as investors rushed to accumulate enough coins to qualify for a dinner seat. Overall, the Trump family and its partners have earned more than $320 million in trading fees since the memecoin was launched in January, including at least $1.35 million following the dinner announcement, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis.
     
    Investors spent more than $145 million on $TRUMP tokens over the duration of this contest, with some stating explicitly that they hoped to purchase influence with President Trump. For example, GD Culture Group, a small technology company that facilitates e-commerce for other businesses and brands on TikTok, recently announced plans to purchase $300 million worth of $TRUMP coins. And in the company’s own words, its Chinese subsidiary may be subject to “[intervention] or influence” by the Chinese government. GD Culture Group’s announcement came just days after President Trump indicated that he’d “be willing” to delay the statutorily required ban on TikTok in the U.S. past its June 19, 2025, deadline. Freight Technologies, a Houston-based company that specializes in U.S.-Mexico-Canada cross-border shipping, was even more direct about why it planned to purchase $20 million worth of President Trump’s memecoin: to help the company “advocate for fair, balanced, and free trade between Mexico and U.S.,” the company’s CEO said in a statement. After the contest closed, at least 34 of the top 220 investors sold most of their memecoin holdings, further confirming that the $TRUMP memecoin is not a worthwhile investment, but rather a vehicle to buy influence with the Trump Administration.
     
    The $TRUMP memecoin website displays a leaderboard of the winners whose identities remain largely unknown due to the anonymity of digital wallets. However, a Bloomberg analysis found that 19 of the top 25 memecoin holders are likely foreign nationals. Notably, an account named “Sun” held the top spot and owned more than $18 million worth of the memecoin on May 12, 2025, when the contest ended. Investigations into this account have traced it back to Justin Sun, a Chinese billionaire who has privately touted his ties to the Chinese government and founded a blockchain network often used to finance illicit activities. Since March 2023, Sun has been facing a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging fraudulent market manipulation on his platform. This legal action was notably paused by the Trump administration after he invested $30 million in one of President Trump’s other cryptocurrency ventures. In what appears to be a quid pro quo move, Sun then invested an additional $45 million into President Trump’s World Liberty Project, while simultaneously increasing his holdings of the $TRUMP memecoin.
     
    Former Republican lawmakers, President Trump’s former aides, and cryptocurrency industry leaders recognize these national security risks and the opportunity for corruption. Charles Dent, the former chairman of the House Ethics Committee, recently stated that “ foreign entities and governments obviously want to curry favor with the president. This is completely out of bounds and raises all sorts of ethical, legal and constitutional issues that must be addressed.” Additionally, Anthony Scaramucci, a former official in the Trump administration, characterized President Trump’s memecoin as representing “Idi Amin level corruption.” Furthermore, Vitalik Buterin, a co-founder of Ethereum, emphasized that politician-backed coins “are vehicles for unlimited political bribery, including from foreign nation states.”
     
    U.S. law prohibits foreign persons from contributing to U.S. political campaigns. However, the $TRUMP memecoin, including the promotion of a dinner promising exclusive access to the President, opens the door for foreign governments to buy influence with the President, all without disclosing their identities.
     
    The Public Integrity Section was established in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal and exists to ensure that the Department of Justice conducts fair and thorough investigations into corruption by government officials at all levels, without regard to those officials’ political views or allegiances.
     
    We therefore urge you to launch an immediate inquiry to determine whether this dinner event violates the federal bribery statute or the foreign emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution. If the Department of Justice concludes that it does, we ask that you set aside political considerations and pursue action to uphold public integrity and the rule of law.
     
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
     
    Sincerely,
     
    ###
     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Carter Statement on Passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative John R Carter (R-TX-31)

    Carter Statement on Passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act

    Washington, May 22, 2025

    Representative John Carter (TX-31) released the following statement after voting for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    “I’m proud to stand with President Trump in support of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—a bold, conservative win that puts hardworking Americans first. This legislation delivers real tax relief for families, makes the largest investment in border security in our nation’s history, and strengthens our national defense.

    “This bill is the result of months of work by House Republicans, fulfilling President Trump’s vision of ‘one, big, beautiful bill’ that advances the agenda the American people overwhelmingly supported last November.

    “Texans sent me to Washington to fight for lower taxes, a strong border, and common sense—and that’s exactly what this bill delivers.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sherrill Votes Against Republican Budget That Cuts Medicaid and Raises Costs for New Jersey Families

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

    WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Representative Mikie Sherrill voted against the Republican budget and reconciliation package, which includes extreme cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and education funding, raising costs for New Jerseyans while providing tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. Additionally, the package fails to repeal the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap, an unfair double-tax on New Jersey families. 

    “Once again, Donald Trump and House Republicans are pushing a budget that prioritizes tax cuts for billionaires over the needs of working families. This package slashes $736 billion from Medicaid and will take away health coverage for at least 13.7 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans. It eliminates food assistance for vulnerable communities, strips funding from students, and pulls back funding for programs that help lower energy costs, all while adding $3.3 trillion to the national deficit through massive tax cuts for Trump’s donors like Elon Musk.

    “Moreover, this budget fails to deliver on Trump’s campaign promise to restore the SALT deduction. This bill will continue to penalize working families by making it more difficult for states like New Jersey to invest in our education, infrastructure, and communities. I have been fighting since day one to repeal this unfair double tax, and will keep working to ensure New Jerseyans are not shouldering the burden of Trump’s corruption and giveaways to the wealthiest Americans. 

    “I cannot support this reckless, cruel plan that makes it harder for families to make ends meet. I’m appalled by those who refuse to stand up for working people and choose instead to rubber stamp an extreme political agenda. I will never stop fighting for affordable healthcare, a fair tax system, and a government that delivers for New Jersey families.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Castro Statement on Disastrous Republican Budget Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joaquin Castro (20th District of Texas)

    May 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement on the Republican budget bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives this morning:

    “The Republican budget bill that just passed the House is a direct attack on Texas working families, kids, seniors, and women. All Democrats, including me, voted against this bill because it will be disastrous for the country.

    “Nearly 150K Texans in my district rely on Medicaid for their healthcare, and health insurance costs for nearly 90K people who have coverage under the ACA in my district will see a 78% increase in their premiums. SNAP provides support for millions of seniors, veterans, children, and working parents across the country, including 96K people in my district. At least 3 million people across the country will lose access to these critical SNAP benefits.

    “I want to be clear: Republicans are pulling a reverse Robin Hood — taking from the most vulnerable and giving to the rich. Interest rates are rising, grocery prices are skyrocketing, and Trump’s tariffs have created chaos. And now millions across the country will lose access to healthcare, or their premiums will rise to exorbitant levels. This is devastating policy that hurts, not helps, hardworking folks—all while blowing up our deficit and giving tax breaks to the wealthiest among us.

    “This legislation now moves to the Senate before it goes to President Trump. But this process is not over. Folks need to keep calling their representatives, sharing their stories, going to town halls, and staying engaged. We are going to keep fighting and I stand with you in this fight.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley Statement on House Passage of the Republican Tax Scam

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

    Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) issued the following statement following House passage of H.R. 1, Republicans’ sweeping tax reconciliation bill, which includes the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history.

    “Under the cover of night, House Republicans jammed their egregious tax scam through Congress. Instead of providing leadership when it mattered most, Speaker Johnson and House Republicans shamefully bowed down to Donald Trump, shirking their responsibility to the people they were elected to represent and selling out hard-working Americans to benefit billionaires.

    “The Republican budget will make America hungrier, poorer, and sicker. For more than 29 hours, House Democrats stood united to expose this bill for what it is: a tax scam that redistributes wealth to the ultra-rich while imposing the largest cuts to Medicaid and food assistance in American history. It kicks an estimated 14 million Americans off their health care and slashes critical food assistance programs relied on by more than 42 million people, literally taking health care from the sick and food away from the hungry. All while adding trillions to the national debt to line the pockets of the wealthiest Americans, leaving future generations to bear the financial burden of their greed and irresponsibility.

    “In their relentless attacks on basic health care, Republicans are also pushing to defund Planned Parenthood, which would close nearly 200 health centers, cut off care for more than a million people, and restrict access to life-saving services including reproductive and sexual health care, birth control, maternity care, cancer screenings, behavioral health, and abortion care.

    “From day one, Republicans refused to meaningfully engage with Democrats or the American people. They shut us out of the process, schemed its passage behind closed doors, and held votes and committee meetings in the dead of night to hide the harm this bill would inflict on millions of Americans. Now, their tax scheme is one step closer to upending the lives of working families, piling new burdens onto Americans already struggling in an unstable economy made worse by Trump’s reckless tax and trade policies. Republicans have shown no interest in lowering costs or making the American Dream more attainable. Their only interest lies in a blind loyalty to Trump and a callous indifference to the people they were elected to serve.

    “But let me be clear: this is not the end. Every single House Democrat voted no on this cruel and despicable bill, and we will continue to fight it every step of the way. We are united in our opposition, and as this bill moves through the legislative process, we will use every tool at our disposal to stop it in its tracks. The American people deserve better, and we are not backing down.”

    ###

    Issues: 119th Congress, Budget

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hinson: Promises Made, Promises Kept for Iowans

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-01)

    Hinson supported legislation to cut taxes, secure the border, and unleash American prosperity under President Trump

    Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) released the following statement after voting in support of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill—a generational investment to secure our borders permanently, provide tax relief for working Americans, and return America to prosperity. Key Hinson Priorities included in this bill include historic investments in border security and deportations and tax relief for working Americans, including no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, an enhanced Child Tax Credit and additional relief for seniors. Additionally, this bill makes the 199A small business deduction permanent at 23%, empowering Main Street job creators.

    “This bill is promises made, promises kept in action. Iowans overwhelmingly voted for President Trump’s America First agenda—ending illegal immigration and preventing dangerous criminals and drugs from entering our communities, cutting wasteful spending, and unleashing American energy. Throughout this process, I was proud to champion provisions to help working families keep more of their hard-earned dollars, including expanding the child tax credit, making small business tax cuts permanent, and eliminating taxes on tips. This would not have been possible without President Trump’s leadership, and I look forward to working with him to get this transformational legislation signed into law.” – Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Defence Secretary oral statement on Diego Garcia

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Oral statement to Parliament

    Defence Secretary oral statement on Diego Garcia

    Oral statement from the Defence Secretary John Healey on Diego Garcia.

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the Diego Garcia Military Base. 

    For more than 50 years, the joint UK-US military base in Diego Garcia has been a launchpad to: 

    … defeat terrorists… 

    … prevent threats to our nation… 

    … and protect our economic security. 

    This base keeps Britain secure at home and strong abroad. 

    This afternoon, the Prime Minister has signed a Treaty with Prime Minister Ramgoolam of Mauritius which guarantees full continued UK control of Diego Garcia for the next 99 years and beyond. 

    I pay tribute to the UK’s negotiators… 

    … to the FCDO and MOD teams who supported them… 

    … and to the Mauritian officials who worked for two and a half years with the last government and this, to reach this agreement.   

    The Foreign Secretary has laid in the House today… 

    … the full Treaty text and his formal exchange of letters with the Foreign Minister of Mauritius that confirm the agreement and the financial arrangements between our two countries. 

    A Bill will be introduced soon to implement the Treaty. 

    There has been a great deal of misinformation about this Treaty [political content removed] – but the simple truth Mr Speaker, is that our national security rests on securing a deal that protects the operational sovereignty of this vital military installation. 

    By signing this Treaty – on our terms – my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister, has ensured the UK retains full control of Diego Garcia, throughout the next century and beyond. 

    It is a deal struck in the national interest… 

    … a deal that makes Britons today and generations to come, safer and more secure. 

    Mr Speaker, the importance of Diego Garcia cannot be overstated. 

    Some of the operations on our joint UK-US base are in the public domain.   

    Most – by necessity – are not.  

    But all the work conducted from Diego Garcia plays a crucial role in protecting: 

    … our nation … 

    … our Armed Forces … 

    … and our trade routes. 

    Mr Speaker, Diego Garcia is unique. 

    We do things there, that we simply could not do anywhere else.  

    Its airfield allows for strike operations and rapid deployments to the Middle East, East Africa and South Asia… 

    … its deepwater port supports missions from nuclear-powered submarines to our Carrier Strike Group… 

    … it hosts surveillance stations which disrupt terrorist attacks, protect satellites and provide global intelligence capabilities… 

    … and it projects UK-US military power into the Indo-Pacific to reinforce regional stability and security. 

    Mr Speaker, America is our closest security ally. 

    And continued use of this base is fundamental to maintaining the special strength of that relationship. 

    In fact, Diego Garcia is our nation’s most significant contribution to the UK-US security partnership that has kept us safe for nearly eighty years 

    As I have said, this is a joint military base and almost every operation conducted from it is done in partnership with the US. 

    This is why, this Treaty has the full-throated support from the US: 

    Secretary of State – Marco Rubio – has said: 

    This agreement secures the long term stable and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia, which is critical to regional and global security.  

    And President Trump described the deal as “very long term” and “very strong”. 

    Mr Speaker, Diego Garcia also strengthens Britain’s economic security.  

    Over one-third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic and two-thirds of global oil shipments is transported through the Indian Ocean.  

    Our constant presence in these waters serves to safeguard trade routes, keeping the price of food and energy for Britons down here at home. 

    Diego Garcia is also the permanent location of critical Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban treaty monitoring equipment… 

    … a network that watches every moment of every day for evidence of nuclear testing to hold nuclear – and any would-be, nuclear powers – to account. 

    Diego Garcia is one of just four locations in the world to operate ground station antennas for the Global Positioning System… 

    … which everyone from astronauts, to motorists, to our military, rely on to navigate. 

    Mr Speaker, the loss of the Diego Garcia military base would now be unthinkable. 

    Yet, without action, without this deal, within weeks we could face losing legal rulings… 

    … and within just a few years the base would become inoperable. 

    Some have suggested simply ignoring international legal decisions. 

    But this is not just about international law.  

    This is about the direct impact of law on our ability to operate the base. 

    Rulings against us would mean we would be unable to prevent hostile nations setting up installations around Diego Garcia, on the outer islands or carrying out joint exercises near the base. 

    No deal means we could not guarantee the safe berth of our subs…  

    … patrol the waters around the base… 

    … control the airspace directly above…  

    … or protect the integrity of our communications systems. 

    Such developments would deeply damage the security interests of the UK and our allies. 

    It would be a dereliction of our first duty of government. 

    Agreeing this Treaty now – on our terms – means the UK retains full control over Diego Garcia. Now and for the next century. 

    We’ve laid before the house the full treaty and associated costings. 

    The [political content removed] frontbench – will see how we have toughened the terms of the deal they were doing so it does more now to guarantee the UK’s national security and national interests. 

    At a cost of less than 0.2 per cent of the annual defence budget, we have secured unrestricted access to and use of the base… 

    … as well as control over movement of all persons and goods on the base, and control of all communication and electronic systems. 

    Nothing can be built within a 24 nautical mile buffer zone without our say so. 

    We have secured an effective veto on all development in the Chagos archipelago.  

    And a strict ban will be imposed on foreign security forces operating on the outer islands.  

    All provisions that were not there in the draft agreement, that had been negotiated by the [political content removed] before the election.

    Mr Speaker, anyone who would abandon this deal, would abandon this base. They would weaken the security of the British people, and they would weaken the strength of the British Armed Forces 

    But… in signing this deal, a British flag will fly over the Diego Garcia base well into the next century… 

    … the relationship with our closest security ally will be strengthened… 

    … and our capacity to deter our adversaries and defend UK interests is secured for generations to come. 

    And as the world becomes more dangerous, Diego Garcia becomes more important. 

    This government will never compromise on our national security.  

    And with this deal, we’ve made Britain more secure at home and stronger abroad.

    Updates to this page

    Published 22 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Ben Cline’s Statement on Voting for the One Big Beautiful Budget Reconciliation Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06)

    Washington, D.C.— Congressman Ben Cline (VA-06) today released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a major budget reconciliation package that delivers meaningful wins for working families, small businesses, and taxpayers in Virginia’s Sixth District.

    “Today’s passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill is a big win for the American people and for families across Virginia’s Sixth District,” said Rep. Cline. “While the bill isn’t perfect, it delivers on the core promises House Republicans made—to secure our border, unleash American energy, rein in Washington’s reckless spending, and stop the largest tax hike in our Nation’s history.”

    The bill includes sweeping reforms designed to provide relief and stability for hardworking Americans. Among its key provisions, the legislation eliminates taxes on tips, overtime pay, and car loan interest, delivers additional tax relief for seniors, makes no changes to Social Security or Medicare, strengthens Medicaid by cracking down on fraud and protecting access for those who need it most, and ensures robust funding for our national defense.

    Congressman Cline also secured the inclusion of one of his top legislative priorities, the Hearing Protection Act, which he sponsored to remove suppressors from the outdated National Firearms Act of 1934.

    “I’m proud that this legislation includes portions of the Hearing Protection Act,” Cline added. “This is a long-overdue win for law-abiding gun owners and a key step in defending our Second Amendment rights.”

    Cline warned that failure to pass this bill would have severe consequences for families and small businesses in the Sixth District as the Trump tax cuts are set to expire. Without this legislation:

    • The average taxpayer would face a 26% tax hike
    • 78,150 families would see their Child Tax Credit cut in half
    • 92% of taxpayers would have their Guaranteed Deduction slashed in half
    • 51,860 small businesses would face a 43.4% tax rate if the 199A Small Business Deduction is allowed to expire
    • 8,032 taxpayers would be hit by the return of the Alternative Minimum Tax
    • 7,445 family-owned farms would lose half of their Death Tax exemption next year

    The legislation now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

    “I hope my colleagues in the Senate will move quickly so we can send this important bill to President Trump’s desk and continue delivering real results for the American people,” Cline said.

    MIL OSI USA News –